4  mrfHRUMiUllH 


ROBERT  ERNEST  COWAN 


THE  GOLD  HUNTERS 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


Thomas   Edwin   Farish 


Illustrated  by  F.  I.  Wetherbee,  Chicago 


A»i?    •     ••  .•. 


^«^ 


CHICAGO 
M.  A.  DONOHUE  &  CO. 

1904 


Copyright  1904,  by 
Thomas  Edwin  Farish 


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ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Sutter's  Fort,  1847 Frontispiece 

James  W.  Marshall,  the  Discoverer  of  Gold 8 

Finding  the  Big  Nugget 42 

Killed  Them  All  Without  Lowering  His  Rifle 76 

That  Shot  Killed  Twenty-seven  Geese 101 

Senator  David  C.  Broderick 108 

"You  have  a  wife  and  small  children,  Lee,  so  I  spare  your  life"  112 

General  Albert  Sydney  Johnston 117 

Louis  Sloss 150 

"It  zhust  maks  me  zick,  right  here" 180 

Reaching  the  Other  Side  Just  as  the  Bridge  was  Swept  Away  184 

W.  C.  Ralston,  Founder  of  the  Bank  of  California    ....  187 

Senator  George  Hearst,  a  Great  Miner 215 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGB 

From  Memphis  to  New  Orleans  and  across  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama  to  California  more  than  fifty  years  ago — San  Fran- 
cisco in  1852 11 

CHAPTER  II. 

Prominent  Citizens  of  San  Francisco  in  1S52-3 — Banks,  News- 
papers, etc. — Marysville  in  1854 — Mining  and  its  Develop- 
ment from  1849  to  1860 — Some  Big  Strikes  Made  and  Some 
Failures — The  Largest  Nugget  Found  in  California  by  W. 
A.  Parish  and  Partners — My  First  Trip  to  Virginia  City.  . .     27 

CHAPTER  III. 

Ministers,  Lawyers,  Public  Schools  and  Theatres  of  the  Early 
Days 47 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Leading  Men — John  A.  Sutter,  Haggin  and  Tevis;  Wallver 
and  Count  Rosseau,  Filibusters;  Stephen  J.  Field,  George 
C.   Gorham  and  others 54 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Native  Population — Outlaws  and    Man-hunters 67 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Honesty  of  the  "Argonauts" — Their  Fun-making — With 
some  account  of  "Mark  Twain,"  "John  Phoenix,"  and  other 
Noted  Humorists 80 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Politicians — Their  Personal  Quarrels  and  Duels — General  .Albert 
Sidney  Johnston  Prevents  California  from  Seceding 104 

8 


6  Table  of  Contents 

CHAPTER  VIII.  PAGE 

Southern  Sympathizers — The  "Caroline  Chapman"  Affair 
— John  Conness  and  J.  C.  McKibben 124 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Building  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad — Henry  George  a 
Christian  of  the  World — Legislation  in  1868 — An  Overland 
Trip  in  1868.     The  "Alaska  Commercial  Company." 137 

CHAPTER  X. 

Fortunes  made  in  City  and  Country  Property — Develop- 
ment of  Agriculture 152 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Vein  Mining — The  Development  of  the  Comstock  Lode — Stock 
Gambling  Rampant — Origin  of  the  Telegraph  Cipher  Code 
— Stage  Drivers:  One  of  Whom  was  a  Woman  Incog- 
nito      170 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Suspension  of  the  Bank  of  California — Death  of  William 
C.  Ralston 187 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Other  Prominent  Men — Mills,  Sharon,  Keene,  Hearst,  Mackay, 
Fair,  Flood  and  O'Brien;  Bradbury,  who  saved  the  life  of 
Porfirio   Diaz,  President  of   Mexico 206 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Great  Diamond  Swindle  of  California 221 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Improvement,  Evolution  and  Revolution  of  the  Machinery 
and  Methods  for  tlie  Development  of    Mines 23G 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Chinese — Their  Arrival,  Use  and  Effect  Upon  the  Country — 
Conclusion   240 


INTRODUCTORY. 

WTiile  gold  has  been  responsible  for  much  evil  in  the 
world,  it  has  been  the  propelling  force  that  has  marked 
the  most  brilliant  epochs  of  human  progress.  When 
Israel  was  a  world  power,  she  owned  or  controlled  the 
land  of  Opliir,  from  which  her  wise  King  Solomon  drew 
the  gold  to  build  and  beautify  the  temple. 

The  gold  and  silver  dug  from  the  mines  of  Europe 
and  Asia  created  the  schools  of  art,  philosophy,  and 
literature  of  Greece  and  Rome. 

The  treasures  of  North  and  South  America  for  cen- 
turies poiu-ing  a  golden  stream  into  Europe  raised  the 
curtain  of  the  dark  ages,  ended  the  night  of  brutality, 
ignorance  and  superstition  which  enveloped  mankind 
and  ushered  in  the  morning  of  a  day,  the  noonday 
splendor  of  which  we  of  the  twentieth  century  now 
enjoy. 

The  advance  of  the  human  race,  during  the  last 
fifty  years,  in  all  the  fields  of  art,  in  mechanics,  com- 
merce, science  and  religion  is  due  to  the  opening  of 
the  gold  fields  of  California  and  Australia. 

The  stars  and  stripes  was  first  raised  in  California 
above  Sutter's  Fort  near  the  present  city  of  Sacra- 
mento in  the  fall  of  1846.  Fremont's  command,  and 
Stephenson's  regiment  and  Commodore  Sloat's  Marines 
conquered  the  state,  and  it  became  American  territory 

7 


8  Introductory 

upon  the  close  of  the  Mexican  war  in  1847.  On  the 
24th  of  January,  1848,  in  digging  a  sluiceway  at  Sut- 
ter's Mill,  at  Coloma  on  the  American  river  in  the 
upper  Sacramento  Valley,  James  W.  Marshall  found 
yellow  particles  that  were  soon  proven  to  be  gold. 
The  men  of  the  valleys  scattered  over  the  hills  and 
mountains,  and  gold  placers,  rich  beyond  the  dream 
of  avarice  were  found  to  be  generally  distributed  through 
the  northern  part  of  the  state.  The  news  electrified 
the  world.  1849  witnessed  a  mad  rush  to  the  new 
gold  fields  from  all  parts  of  the  earth.  Sailing  vessels 
sailed  in  scores  from  New  York,  Boston  and  other 
ports  for  San  Francisco,  around  the  Horn,  and  thou- 
sands from  the  southern  and  western  states  took  up 
the  weary  six  months  trudge  across  the  plains,  defying 
the  forces  of  nature  and  the  more  dangerous  savage, 
in  a  wild  desire  to  enter  first  the  new  Eldorado.  Ships 
on  arrival  were  abandoned  by  their  crews.  All  was 
excitement.  Hardy  prospectors  crowded  into  the  chg- 
gings,  nothing  dismayed  by  the  dangers  awaiting  them 
these  soldiers  of  fortune  braved  all  in  their  eager  search 
for  gold;  in  their  success  they  laid  the  foundation  of 
civilization  on  the  Pacific  deep  and  strong  in  the  mortar 
masonry   of    true   Americanism. 

In  1847  San  Francisco  was  a  port  of  entry  for  the 
North  Pacific  whaling  fleet,  a  few  huts  scattered  over 
a  sandy  beach  housed  a  population  of  a  few  hundred. 
Her  only  exports  were  hides  and  tallow.  A  transfor- 
mation came  with  the  opening  of  the  gold  fields. 

The    Pacific   Mail   Steamship   fine   was   established 


Introductory  9 

from  New  York  via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  to  San 
Francisco  early  in  1850. 

In  1851  the  Nicaragua  route  was  opened  by  Com- 
modore Vanderbilt. 

In  1849  the  government  created  a  naval  and  military 
station  at  Bcnicia  and  there  was  a  question  as  to  whether 
Benicia  or  San  Francisco  would  be  the  future  metropolis 
of  the  Golden  West.  The  incoming  tide  of  immigra- 
tion settled  the  question  in  favor  of  the  latter  and  so 
one  of  the  greatest  of  modern  cities  had  its  beginning. 

The  name  California  was  taken  from  a  Spanish 
romance  published  in  1521,  which  was  very  popular 
when  lower  California  was  discovered  by  a  lieutenant 
of  Cortez  in  1534. 


THE  GOLD  HUNTERS 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


CHAPTER  I 


In  the  little  town  of  Macon,  Tennessee,  twenty-eight 
miles  from  the  city  of  Memphis,  I  was  born.  My 
father  was  a  merchant  and  lost  his  fortune  through 
the  decline  of  cotton,  in  1848,  when,  on  account  of  the 
French  Revolution,  that  important  staple  was  sold  in 
London  for  less  than  it  originally  cost  in  Memphis. 
In  the  spring  of  1849,  having  decided  to  try  his  fortune 
in  new  fields,  he  bade  farewell  to  home  and  family, 
and,  in  company  with  his  brother  and  nephew,  joined 
the  army  of  emigrants  for  far  off  California.  It  was 
a  long,  tedious  and  dangerous  journey,  in  those  days, 
and  the  party  was  six  months  on  the  road.  Father 
wrote  us  regularly  until  he  passed  Santa  Fe,  New 
Mexico,  after  which  we  did  not  hear  from  him  again 
until  a  long  half-year  had  passed  away.  The  anxious 
months  of  this  weary  waiting  can  be  safely  left  to 
the  imagination;  the  reality  can  hardly  be  described. 

During  this  interval  ocean  communication  had  been 
established  between  New  York  and  California,  via 
Panama,  by  which  we  received  a  letter  from  father, 

11 


12  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

inclosing  a  draft  for  a  sum  which,  I  well  remember, 
to  his  impoverished  family,  seemed  a  fortune  indeed. 
Before  the  close  of  the  year,  1851,  my  father  had  com- 
pleted arrangements  whereby  his  family  was  to  join 
him  in  the  new  home  he  had  prepared  for  them  in  the 
far  west. 

He  had  begun  business  there,  on  the  Yuba  River, 
by  selling  pies,  which  had  increased  to  a  wholesale 
general  merchandise  establishment  in  Marysville,  Cal- 
ifornia. 

If  all  families  were  like  ours,  as  to  members,  there 
would  be  little  danger  of  "race  suicide";  there  were 
six  children,  I  the  eldest  and  my  brother  the  youngest, 
eight  years  my  junior.  We  started  from  Macon  and 
reached  Memphis  on  the  first  day  of  January,  1852. 

Memphis  at  that  time  had  a  population  of  eight 
thousand,  and  furnished  a  place  where  was  marketed 
all  the  cotton  produced  in  the  surrounding  country. 
Not  a  railroad  then  entered  the  city;  all  transportation 
in  and  out  was  by  boats  or  wagons. 

We  remained  at  Memphis  until  the  middle  of  January, 
when  we  took  passage  on  the  steamboat  '^  Empire" 
for  New  Orleans.  The  fare  for  that  three-days-trip, 
including  meals  and  stateroom,  was  ten  dollars. 

To  a  boy  who  had  never  been  beyond  the  scenes 
surrounding  home,  such  a  journey  was  fraught  with 
constant  and  wondrous  interest  and  change.  Every 
mile  brought  to  view  a  new  surprise.  The  splendid 
country  homes  of  the  southern  planters,  as  they  ap- 
peared upon  the  banks  of  the  "Father  of  Waters/' 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  13 

are  still  vividly  impressed  upon  my  memory.  The 
spacious  houses  with  their  wide  verandas,  surrounded 
by  trees  and  flowers;  the  broad,  well-gravelled  walks 
stretching  to  the  river  banks,  all  indicative  of  wealth 
and  plenty,  created  a  most  lasting  impression  upon 
my  young  mind. 

New  Orleans,  with  its  population  of  some  hundred 
thousand,  seemed  a  veritable  world  within  itself.  Its 
immense  levees  covered  with  bales  of  cotton  as  they 
were  discharged  from  hundreds  of  river  boats,  thence 
transferred  to  the  power-houses  to  be  compressed 
to  one-half  the  original  bulk,  ready  for  shipment  on  the 
larger  ocean  steamers  and  ships;  its  motley  crowd  of 
white  and  colored  laborers;  the  old  French  quarter 
with  its  narrow  streets;  the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  a  large 
building  four  stories  high,  and  seeming  to  me  an  en- 
chanted palace;  the  old  French  Market  where  fragrant 
coffee  was  sold,  and  where  the  American  Indians  dis- 
played their  curious  wares — crude  needle-work,  leather- 
work,  feather-work  and  unique  baskets — for  sale;  and 
myriads  of  other  novel  sights  gave  me  a  new  and  mar- 
velous impression  of  the  great,  wide,  wonderful  world 
and  the  life  that  lay  before  me. 

Rev.  McCoy,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  accompanied 
us  from  Macon.  We  had  been  intrusted  to  his  care 
and  he  was  to  see  us  safely  landed  in  San  Francisco. 
Father  had  procured  and  sent  us  through-tickets 
from  New  Orleans  to  that  city,  yet,  on  account  of 
the  rush  of  travel,  we  were  unable  to  obtain  passage 
before  the  tenth  of  March.    About  dusk  of  that  event- 


14  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

ful  day  we  started  aboard  the  "Falcon,"  an  old,  rickety 
boat,  that  to-day  would  not  be  permitted  to  leave  her 
wharf.  We  passed  through  the  streets  of  New  Orleans, 
the  minister  and  my  mother  in  the  lead,  with  six  young- 
sters trailing  behind, — I  the  tallest,  the  others  gradu- 
ally diminishing  in  stature, — we  formed  a  procession 
that  excited  both  curiosity  and  comment.  I  will 
never  forget  the  exclamation  of  an  "old  colored 
Mammy." 

"Afoah  de  Lawd  sake!"  she  cried,  throwing  up  her 
hands  in  astonishment,  "does  all  deni  chillun  belong 
to    dat    one    ooman!" 

An  incident  that  somewhat  incensed  my  mother, 
who  felt  indignant  at  the  presumption  of  the  negro 
to  make  comment  at  all,  in  hearing  of  the  passers-by; 
but  which  very  much  amused  my  boyish  fancy. 

A  heavy  storm  upon  the  Gulf  made  the  passage  a 
severe  one.  In  common  with  almost  all  the  passengers, 
I  was  sick  for  ten  days,  the  time  required  to  reach 
Aspinwall.  The  railroad  had  then  been  completed 
from  Aspinwall  as  far  inland  as  Bueno  Soldado,  on 
the  Chagris  River,  and  was  the  first  railroad  I  had  ever 
seen. 

From  Bueno  Soldado,  up  the  Chagris  River  as  far 
as  Gorgona,  the  passengers  were  transported  on  boats 
owned  and  conducted  by  the  natives.  When  we 
alighted  from  the  train  at  Soldado  these  boatmen 
were  as  noisy  and  importunate  as  are  the  cabmen  of 
the  New  York  stations,  or  of  Market  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco of  to-day. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  15 

The  natives  were  dark,  half -clad,  and,  to  the  uninitia- 
ted, without  attraction.  I  shall  always  remember  the 
look  and  gesture  of  disgust  and  repugnance  with  which 
my  mother  rejected  and  repulsed  the  offers  of  a  tall 
specimen  of  the  country,  too  airily  clad  for  decency, 
who  insisted  upon  escorting  her  party  to  his  boat. 

The  boats  were  poled  along  the  river  and  we  reached 
Gorgona  about  nightfall.  Next  morning  our  party 
started  for  the  city  of  Panama,  a  trip  of  fifteen  or 
eighteen  miles.  This  distance  was  traveled  on  the 
backs  of  native  mules,  animals  not  much  larger  than 
the  common  burros  of  New  Mexico  and  Arizona.  I 
do  not  recollect  any  settlements  or  attempts  at  farming 
on  the  Isthmus  at  that  day.  There  was  a  profusion 
of  tropical  trees  and  undergrowth  with  an  abundance 
of  oranges,  bananas  and  cocoanuts;  while  myriads 
of  monkeys  and  bright-plumaged  parrots  made  the 
woods  resonant  with  their  screams  and  chattering. 
After  leaving  Gorgona  the  mule-trail  was,  in  part, 
over  a  rough  country  and  an  old  road  that  must  have 
been  traveled  for  centuries  past;  for,  in  places  dowTi 
the  hillsides  there  were  steps  worn  several  feet  deep 
in   the   solid   rock. 

At  Panama  we  were  shown  the  old  forts  of  Morgan, 
the  pirate  and  buccaneer. 

This  was  a  quaint  old  city  even  then;  primitive 
and  unchanged  for  three  hundred  years,  or  since  the 
Spanish  occupation.  It  was  without  wharves,  so  that 
vessels  in  the  bay  had  to  ride  at  anchor  more  than  a 
mile  from  the  town.     Passengers  for  these  vessels  were 


16  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

carried  on  the  backs  of  the  natives,  over  a  space  of 
perhaps  two  hundred  yards  and  placed  in  small  boats 
which  conveyed  them  to  the  larger  ships.  We  found 
several  thousand  Americans  there  awaiting  transpor- 
tation to  the  new  Eldorado,  so  that  every  sailing  craft 
was  readily  chartered  immediately  upon  arrival  in  port 
and  loaded  to  its  full  capacity  with  a  cargo  of  human 
freight.  The  recent  rush  from  Seattle  to  the  Klondyke 
reminded  one  of  the  crushing  and  crowding  into  the 
steamers  and  sailing  vessels  in  the  harbors  of  Panama 
in  those  early  days. 

After  a  two  days'  rest  at  this  place  we  boarded  the 
Pacific  Mail  Steamship,  "Northerner,"  for  San  Fran- 
cisco. Her  capacity  was  limited  to  carry  five  hundred 
passengers;  upon  this  occasion  she  had  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  in  the  steerage,  alone,  and  two  hundred  more 
in  the  cabins.  Every  available  nook  and  corner  was 
crowded  with  human  beings.  The  profits  of  this 
boat  were  enormous,  I  remember,  boy  though  I 
was,  hearing  the  purser  say  that  the  ship  would,  on 
that  trip  alone,  clear  a  sum  sufficient  to  construct  a 
vessel  new  and  complete.  The  cost  of  cabin-fare 
from  New  Orleans  to  San  Francisco  was  three  hundred 
and  seventy-five  dollars;  to  which  must  be  added 
fifty  dollars  for  transportation  across  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama. 

The  weather  was  very  warm.  Under  the  main 
deck  the  atmosphere  was  stifling.  The  tables  and 
floors  of  the  dining  saloon  were  utilized  for  beds.     And 


/    ^ 


James  W.  Marshall,  the  Discoverer  of 
Gold. — Fage  8. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  17 

after  dark,  all  the  decks,  both  fore  and  aft,  were  covered 
with  human  beings  trying  vainly  to  sleep. 

Hard-tack  and  "  salt-horse,"  potatoes  and  thin  coffee 
constituted  a  meal  for  the  steerage  passengers.  Those 
in  the  cabin  fared  better,  though  their  tables  were 
far  from  being  first  class. 

The  steamship  company  evidently  recognized  and 
appreciated  the  fact  that  a  harvest  was  ready  at  hand 
and  were  not  slow  to  seize  the  opportunity  to  gather 
it   in. 

A  wonderful  company  was  collected  aboard  that 
boat!  Young,  ardent,  enthusiastic,  adventurous  and 
gay.  Few  on  board  above  thirty  years  of  age  and  few 
below  eighteen.  Almost  all  were  men.  Not  many 
women  went  West  in  those  days. 

A  more  jolly,  expectant  crowd  one  could  hardly 
find. 

Fully  impressed  with  the  stories  they  had  heard  of 
the  extent  and  richness  of  the  new  gold-fields,  toward 
which  their  own  faces  were  now  turned;  buoyant,  impul- 
sive and  full  of  life,  not  a  cloud  arose  to  darken  the 
horizon  of  their  sky.  To  all,  hope  whispered  the  same 
enchanting  tale: 

"A  few  sunny  months,  at  most  a  few  short  years, 
spent  in  washing  gold,  then  a  return  to  home,  sweet- 
hearts and  wives,  laden  with  a  rich  competency  for 
all  life  to  come,"  were  the  thoughts  with  which  she 
filled  each  breast.     Or, 

"Jim  Jones,   Bill  Smith  and  others  had  returned 


18  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

with  their  golden  'piles/  why  should  not  fortune  smile 
on  me?" 

In  the  steerage  groups  of  men  could  be  seen  any- 
time studying  some  old  map  of  California  and  such 
exclamations  as  this  were  often  heard: 

"Now,  here  is  Murphy's  Diggings,  where  Zeke  Wilson 
struck  it  rich.  He  said  he  made  from  twenty-five 
to  fifty  dollars  a  day  there,  and  there  was  plenty  left. 
I  am  going  right  there  myself." 

Another  would  point  out  some  other  mine,  whose 
rosy  allurements  drew  him  from  his  childhood's  home. 
Aiid  many  more. 

All  these  days  Ambition  soared  aloft.  How  many 
of  these  young,  ardent  hearts  were  doomed  to  disap- 
pointment; how  many  realized  their  dreams;  or  how 
many  afterwards  became  useful  and  prominent  men 
in  the  life  of  the  Golden  State;  how  many  returned  to 
the  homes  they  had  left,  are  questions  I  cannot  answer 
here.  But  that  they  represented  the  true  American 
spirit  of  push  and  enterprise,  endurance  and  ambition, 
are  truths  so  patent  that  none  will  deny. 

On  the  eleventh  day  of  April,  1852,  the  "Northerner" 
passed  safely  through  the  famous  Golden  Gate.  As 
she  glided  proudly  into  the  majestic  bay,  the  beautiful 
peninsula  of  San  Francisco  lying  to  the  right,  pretty 
islands  dotting  the  waters  around,  and  stretching  to 
the  left,  the  inviting  lands  of  Contra  Costa — where 
now  lies  the  city  of  Oakland — all,  heightened  by  the 
blue   sky   and  glorious  sunshine  of  California,   were 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  19 

enough  to  iiis))ire  the  heart  and  arouse  the  enthusiasm 
of  the  most  sluggish  natures  known. 

Our  ship  was  made  fast  at  Pacific  AVharf.  The 
bustle  and  confusion  that  ensued,  the  noise  and  per- 
tinacity of  the  hotel-runners,  while  not  so  great  as 
on  Market  Street  wharf  to-da}'',  were  quite  exciting 
and  vociferous  enough  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  the 
time  and  to  fully  gratify  the  expectations  of  a  boy  like 
myself. 

The  crowding  and  curiosity  to  see  the  newly  arrived 
eastern-folk  were  about  like  one  finds  now  in  Sonora, 
Mexico. 

San  Francisco  in  1852! 

What  a  straggling,  primitive  town  it  was!  But 
much  grown  and  changed  since  four  years  before.    . 

Previous  to  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  San  1 
Francisco  was  only  a  calling  place  for  whalers,  and  a 
port  from  which  skins  and  hides  were  shipped.  A 
few  rudely  built  houses,  no  streets,  no  wharves.  Noth- 
ing, except  its  magnificent  harbor,  to  mark  it  as  the 
place  that  was  to  become  the  future  great  metropolis 
of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

But  at  the  time  of  the  landing  of  our  party  improve- 
ment and  civilization  had  obtained  a  strong  foothold. 

I  still  remember  walking  up  to  the  old  Rassette 
House,  on  the  corner  of  Sansome  and  Bush  Streets, 
where  now  stands  the  Cosmopolitan  Hotel.  It  was  a 
plain  wooden  structure,  in  the  rear  of  which  rose  a 
sand-hill  fully  seventy-five  feet  high. 


4- 


20  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Even  then  the  city  claimed  a  population  of  ten 
thousand  souls.  Sansome  on  Commercial  and  Clay 
Streets  touched  the  Bay. 

The  Niantic  and  Tehama,  popular  hotels  of  the  time, 
on  these  streets  were  built  upon  hulks  of  old  vessels. 
The  streets  were  not  graded  but  could  boast  of  rude, 
plank    sidewalks   in  front  of  most  of   the  buildings. 

Rats,  by  millions,  infested  the  city,  and  seemed  to 
constitute  the  principal  live-stock  of  the  place.  After 
dark  these  pests  became  so  venturesome  one  had  to 
kick  them  from  the  sidewalks  as  he  proceeded  down 
the  streets. 

Wholesale  houses  were  already  established  on  Bat- 
tery, Sansome  and  the  eastern  side  of  Front  Streets. 
Many  of  these  establishments  occupied  by  importers  and 
jobbers,  were  built  upon  piles  which  rose  above  the  Bay. 

William  T.  Coleman  &  Co.,  J.  H.  Coghill  &  Co.,  and 
Arrington  &  Co.,  were  the  principal  grocers.  Kelly, 
Janson  &  Bond,  the  leading  dry-goods  jobbers.  The 
harbor  was  filled  with  the  hulks  of  old  vessels,  which 
were  used  for  the  storage  of  merchandise. 

On  Montgomery  Street,  south  of  Pine,  there  was  no 
building;  in  fact,  there  was  nothing  on  this  street 
south  of  California  Street.  On  going  south  from  that 
street  one  waded  deeper  and  deeper  in  the  sand-hills. 
Across  Market  Street  was  what  was  called  "Happy 
Valley."  Still  farther  south,  Yerba  Bueno,  which  had 
been  utilized  by  the  earlier  settlers  as  a  burying  ground. 

The  old  Mission  Church  was  reached  by  a  horse- 
back ride  from  Montgomery  Street. 


The  Gold  Hunters  op  California  21 

All  the  land  beyond  Taylor  Street,  not  covered 
by  sand-hills,  was  used  for  growing  potatoes.  For 
many  years  the  Mission  potato  of  San  Francisco  was 
famous  throughout  the  state  of  California.  Long  Wharf 
extended  from  Sansome  Street,  on  Commercial,  to 
Drum  Street.  The  river  steamers  left  this  wharf  for 
the  interior  towns  of  Stockton,  Marysville  and  Sacra- 
mento. To  Marysville  freight  was  thirty  dollars  per 
ton,  to  Stockton  twenty  dollars  and  to  Sacramento 
ten,  A  steamboat  would,  by  its  profits  in  this  trade, 
pay  for  itself  in  one  month.  Commercial  Street,  from 
Sansome  to  Montgomery  on  either  side,  was  lined  witH 
Jew  clothing  stores, — ^'^ Peter  Funk  Auction  Stores" 
they  were  called. 

Great  crowds  would  gather  in  front  of  these  places 
in  the  evenings,  where  the  auctioneers,  mounted  on 
counters,  would  offer  their  goods  for  sale.  Sometimes 
beginning  with  some  small  article,  such  as  a  pair  of 
woolen  socks,  at,  say,  a  hundred  dollars,  then  rapidly 
descend  in  price  to,  perhaps,  seventy-five  cents,  when 
with  the  exclamation: 

"I  will  never  take  a  cent' less,"  the  bidders  would 
be  notified  that  the  bottom  price  had  been  reached. 
And  so  the  entertainment  and  sales  would  go.  It 
was  a  busy  scene.  The  street  for  the  entire  square 
crowded  as  it  was  with  clamorous  customers,  the 
vociferous  auctioneers  making  noise  enough  to  deafen 
the  ears,  if  not  to  interest  all  passers-by. 

A  hundred  venders  of  patent  medicines  could  not 
successfully  vie  with  them. 


22  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Baths,  in  those  days,  were  two  dollars.  To  get  a 
shave  and  make  a  complete  toilet  would  have  required 
a  full  pocket-book,  did  one  indulge  in  such  luxuries 
as  often  as  good  taste  required. 

One  or  two  French  restaurants  were  in  operation, 
with  meals  at  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  the  lowest 
price.  Numerous  other  restaurants,  the  principal  ones 
being  Aldrich's  and  Winn's, — the  latter  noted  for  his 
hot-cakes  and  golden  syrup. 

Beef,  game  and  fish  were  abundant.  The  sea-gull 
rookeries,  of  the  Farilones  supplied  the  market  with 
gull-eggs,  which  sold  for  one  dollar  per  dozen. 

Hens'  eggs  were  worth  almost  their  weight  in  gold. 

I  remember  a  couple  of  young  men  recently  landed 
from  Tennessee,  dropped  into  Aldrich's  for  breakfast 
one  morning.  Not  being  aware  of  the  rarity,  and 
consequent  prices  of  eggs  in  California,  and  having 
five  dollars  still  left  with  which  to  pay  for  breakfast 
for  two,  calmly  ordered  their  usual  breakfast  of  eggs 
and  toast.  When  the  bill  was  presented  the  young 
gentlemen  saw,  to  their  consternation,  that  the  amount 
was  ten  dollars.  They  had  only  five,  what  was  to  be 
done  ? 

After  a  consultation  togeth(M"  it  was  decided  that 
one  of  them  should  remain  while  the  other  shoulil  go 
out  to  look  for  Colonel  Gift,  an  old  time  friend 
whom  they  knew  to  be  in  the  city. 

The  Colonel  was  soon  found,  who,  after  hearing 
the  story  of  liis  young  friend  and  asking  who  was  with 
him,  inquired  what  they  had  had  for  breakfast. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  23 

"Eggs,"  was  the  reply. 

"Eggs!  Eggs!"  exclaimed  the  Colonel.  "Did  you 
not  know,  you  blankety-blank  fool,  that  hens  lay 
gold  in  California?" 

"I  did  not,  but  I  do,"  said  our  young  friend. 

"Well,"  continued  the  Colonel,  kindly  handing  over 
a  fifty  dollar  gold  slug,  "take  this  and  remember, 
after  this,  that  you  are  not  in  Tennessee,  where  eggs 
are  given  away." 

In  those  days  San  Francisco  did  not  lack  for  places 
of  amusement  in  the  way  of  gambling  halls.  Chief 
among  them  was  the  old  Eldorado,  a  large  building 
on  Kearney  and  Washington  Streets  which  afterwards 
became  the  Hall  of  Records.  The  "Eldorado"  was 
a  typical  western  palace  of  amusement  of  that  early 
time;  being  a  gambling  house,  with  all  kinds  of  games 
played  by  all  kinds  of   people. 

Gold  coins  of  five,  ten,  twenty  and  gold  slugs  of  fifty 
dollar  values  were  not  imcommon,  while  actual  pyra- 
mids of  gold  bars  were  piled  high  on  the  tables,  often- 
times representing  in  value,  many  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  dollars. 

Games  were  unlimited.  Bets  from  one  thousand 
to  five  thousand  dollars,  on  a  single  card,  were  not 
infrequent.  The  largest  bet  of  which  I  ever  heard  was 
made  and  won  here. 

A  man,  by  the  name  of  Moore,  had  been  betting 
and  lost  over  and  over,  sums  aggregating  several  thou- 
sand dollars,  on  the  game  of  faro.  Finally  as  he  turned 
to  leave,  the  dealer  asked: 


24  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

"Are  you  through?" 

Moore  halted,  hesitated,  then  turning  and  taking 
from  his  pocket  a  key,  held  it  up  and  said: 

"I  will  bet  you  everything  in  my  safe,  which  this 
key  unlocks,   on  the   ten." 

"How  much  is  in  your  safe?"  inquired  the  dealer. 

"I  do  not  know,  but  it  is  a  large  sum.  If  you  win 
take  the  key,  open  the  safe  and  secure  all  the  money 
you  find  there.  If  I  win,  we  will  go  to  the  safe  together, 
count  the  money  and  you  must  cover  the  amount," 
was  the  answer. 

The  challenge  was  accepted,  the  bet  made  and  Moore 
won  something   over   forty-seven    thousand  dollars. 

Along  the  side  of  this  gambling-room  was  a  bar 
about  forty  feet  long,  where  drinks  were  sold.  Eight 
bar-keepers  were  required   to   supply   the   customers. 

Old  John  Kelly,  the  violinist,  was  employed  at  one 
hundred  dollars  a  night  to  furnish  music  for  the  room. 
The  old  fellow  would  rattle  off  the  'Arkansaw  Trav- 
eller," in  his  own  inimitable  style,  step  down  from 
his  place,  take  a  drink  then  go  on  with  some  other 
as  familiar  or  melodious  tune;  again  descend  for  another 
drink  and  so  continue  till  the  atmosphere  was  a  strange 
blending  of  whiskey  and  music. 

The  boys,  touched  by  some  reminiscent  chord  sent 
forth  by  the  old  musician's  hand,  to  show  their  appre- 
ciation of  his  skill  would  treat  and  re-treat  old  John 
until  he  could  drink  no  more. 

The  main  floor  of  this  gambling-hall,  a  space  of 
fifty  by  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet  was  covered  with 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  25 

tables.  On  the  second  floor  it  was  the  same,  but  fre- 
quented by  a  more  exclusive  set.  All  kinds  of  men 
were  to  be  found  here ;  men  who  had  followed  all  kinds 
of  occupations. 

One,  who  was  engaged  in  running  a  faro-table,  I 
remember,  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  having  once  been 
a  Methodist  preacher.  Yomiger  sons  of  noble  families, 
graduates  from  English,  Scottish  and  American  institu- 
tions of  learning  jostled  against  the  most  lowly  sailor, 
mechanic  and  longshoreman;  lawyers,  doctors,  mer- 
chants, and  some  prominent  in  historical  affairs,  el- 
bowed their  way  among  .desperados,  cut-throats  and 
petty  thieves.  A  motley  crowd,  gathered  from  all 
quarters  of  the  globe,  mingling  here  in  one  common 
mass.  Gamblers  were  the  aristocrats  of  the  day;  the 
only  men  who  wore  "biled"  shirts. 

Chinamen  were  a  familiar  sight,  in  those  days  as 
well  as  now,  on  the  streets  of  San  Francisco.  Almost 
every  day  one  could  see  a  crowd  of  them,  with  their 
bamboo-sticks  across  their  shoulders,  loaded  with 
burdens  at  each  end,  composed  of  their  belongings, 
trotting  along  to  the  river  boats,  making  their  way 
into  the  interior. 

Chinese  were  the  only  servants  to  be  had.  Being 
deft  and  quick  to  learn,  they  were  often  employed 
in  domestic  service,  for  wages  ranging  from  seventy- 
five  to  one  hundred  dollars  a  month. 

It  was  amusing  to  note  that  the  first  thing  a  China- 
man usually  bought  for  himself,  after  arriving  in  Amer- 
ica, was  a  pair  of  boots;  the  largest  size  he  could  possibly 


26  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

get;  perhaps  a  number  eleven  or  twelve,  padding  his 
feet  with  rags  to  make  them  large  enough  to  fill  the 
boots.  The  reason  for  this  was,  that  in  China,  only 
mandarins  are  allowed  to  wear  boots,  the  size  of  the 
boot  indicating  the  station  of  the  wearer.  So,  it  was 
with  great  pride  that  the  poor  cooly,  when  once  in 
free  America,  donned  this  insignia  of  distinction,  the 
clumsiness  and  weight  seeming  as  nothing  when  com- 
pared with  the  satisfaction  he  felt  in  wearing  the 
boots. 


CHAPTER  II. 

After  being  in  San  Francisco  about  a  month,  I  found 
employment  with  Cooke  &  Le  Count,  wholesale  and 
retail  book-sellers  and  stationers.  Cooke  had  been  a 
newsboy  in  New  York  and  managed  to  cross  the  Isthmus 
by  the  first  steamship  in  1850,  carrying  with  him 
twelve  hundred  copies  of  the  New  York  Herald,  his 
only  capital. 

In  one  hour  after  landing  he  had  disposed  of  all  his 
papers  at  one  dollar  each. 

This  enabled  him  to  set  up  in  business  and  establish 
a  flourishing  concern. 

The  firm  did  a  large  retail  and  wholesale  business 
in  newspapers,  books  and  stationery.  Steamships 
arrived  and  departed  bi-monthly.  Every  steamer 
arriving  brought  them  papers  by  the  thousands  from 
the  Eastern  states  and  England.  These  sold  at  retail 
at  twenty-five  cents  a  copy;  and  at  twelve  and  a  half 
cents  wholesale.  San  Francisco  papers  would  issue 
a  steamer  edition  for  each  out-going  steamer,  which 
they  sold  to  the  dealers  for  twelve  and  a  half  cents 
per  copy.  On  each  "steamer-day'^  Cooke  &  Le  Count 
would  sell  over  their  counter,  of  these,  from  one  thou- 
sand to  fifteen  hundred  copies 

Nothing  was  retailed  at  less  than  twenty-five  cents.  A 
lead  pencil,  a  dozen  steel  pens,  and  other  like  articles, 

27 


28  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

twenty-five  cents  each.     A  book  costing  seventy-five 

\     cents  would  easily  bring  two  or  three  dollars,  and  so 

\    on  through  the  list  of  retail  articles.     Wholesale  profits 

\   readily  averaged  one  hundred  per  cent.     Profits  in  all 

\  lines  of  merchandise  were  equally  large. 

The  firm  of  Treadwell  &  Co.  was  doing  a  large  hard- 
ware business.  L.  L.  Treadwell,  the  founder,  sailed 
from  Boston  in  "Forty-nine,"  coming  around  the 
Horn.  Some  one  credited  him  with  twelve  half-barrels 
of  apples.  When  he  landed  in  San  Francisco  apples 
were  in  demand.  He  readily  sold  out  the  stock  at  a 
dollar  and  a  quarter  a  pound,  which  gave  him  a  start, 
and  he  amassed  a  fortune. 

f'^am  Brannan  was  then  reputed  to  be  the  largest 

"^ireal  estate  owner  in  San  Francisco.     His  income  was 

said  to  be  ten  thousand  dollars  a  month  from  rentals. 

It  was  said  that  he  joined  the  Mormons  in  Utah, 
in  1847,  and  was  made  their  treasurer.  The  Church 
and  Brethren  handed  over  their  funds  to  him  as 
treasurer  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  He  gathered  up 
the  coin  and  suddenly  left  Utah  for  parts  unknown. 

After  making  a  trip  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  he 
returned  as  far  as  San  Francisco,  where  he  invested 
the  money  of  the  Saints  in  real  estate.  The  Mormons, 
it  is  claimed,  sent  a  delegation  from  Utah  asking  for 
a  return  of  their  deposits.  Brannan  informed  them 
that  all  the  money  he  had  belonged  to  the  Lord,  and 
whenever  they  presented  a  duly  authenticated  check 
from  the  Lord  he  would  honor  its  payment. 

Halleck,  Peachy,  Billings  &  Park  was  the  largest 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  29 

hiw  firm  in  San  Francisco,  at  the  time.  John  Halleck, 
a  "West  Pointer,"  was  the  head  of  the  firm.  He 
was  afterward  prominent  in  the  Civil  War,  as  the 
director  of  mihtary  events  from  Washington.  Peachy 
hved  and  died  in  San  Francisco.  Fred  BilHngs  re- 
turned to  his  former  home  in  New  England.  He 
became  prominent  in  railway  circles;  and  was  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad. 
Trainer  W.  Park,  a  Bostonian,  settled  in  New  York 
city,  and  became  identified  with  large  industrial  and 
financial  enterprises  leaving  an  estate  of  many  millions 
of  dollars  when  he  died. 

Every  member  of  this  firm  obtained  his  start  in 
California  between  1851  and  1856. 

The  principal  papers  in  San  Francisco,  then,  were 
the  "Alta  California,"  a  Whig  paper  edited  by  Ed. 
Gilbert,  who,  not  long  afterwards,  was  killed  in  a  duel; 
and  the  San  Francisco  "Herald"  with  John  Nugent 
editor.  Nugent  was  a  bright  man,  a  New  York  Irish- 
man, always  dressed  in  the  height  of  fashion,  wearing 
a  nobby  hat  and  affecting  a  dandy  cane,  he  seemed 
almost  out  of  place  among  the  bustling,  whirling, 
stirring,  badly  dressed  seekers  after  fortune  that  com- 
posed the  citizenship  not  only  of  the  city  of  San  Fran- 
cisco but  of  the  state  at  large. 

When  I  first  saw  him  he  was  wearing  his  arm  in  a 
sling  from  the  affects  of  a  wound  received  in  a  duel 
with  a  man  named  Cotton.  This  was  hardly  healed 
when  he  challenged  Tom  Hayes  to  the  field  of  honor. 


30  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

only  to  receive  another  bullet  this  time  in  the  fleshy 
part  of  his  leg. 

David  C.  Broderick,  at  that  time  serving  as  State 
Senator,  was  then  and  up  to  the  time  of  his  death 
the  political  boss  of  San  Francisco. 

Page,  Bacon  &  Co.  did  the  largest  banking  business 
in  the  city,  with  Adams  &  Co.  a  close  second. 

Adams  &  Co.  were  the  expressmen  of  the  state, 
having  branches  in  almost  every  mining  camp  through- 
out California,  carrying  not  only  packages  of  mer- 
chandise and  gold-dust,  but  letters  also,  at  twenty-five 
and  fifty  cents  apiece.  Both  Adams  &  Co.,  and  Page, 
Bacon  &  Co.  failed  in  1855,  during  the  general  panic  of 
that  year,  which  was  so  severe  as  to  close  every  discount 
bank  in  the  city  except  those  of  Tallent  &  Wilde,  and 
Drexel,  Sather  &  Church. 

"Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  who  had  established  themselves 
in  a  small  way  as  expressmen,  became  the  successors 
of  Adams  &  Co.,  in  their  line  of  business.  To-day,  as 
is  well  known,  it  is  one  of  the  most  substantial  insti- 
tutions of  the  country. 

About  the  year  1850  James  and  Peter  Donahue 
started  a  little  blacksmith  shop  near  the  water  front. 
They  were  industrious  Irish  boys  from  New  Jersey. 
These  boys  made  the  acquaintance  of  J.  Y.  McDuffy, 
a  gambler,  who  loaned  them  a  thousand  dollars  with 
which  to  buy  iron  and  steel,  and  they  thus  laid  the 
foundation  of  their  fortune.  They  afterwards  pro- 
jected the  gas  works  of  San  Francisco  and  founded 
what  is  known  as  the   Union   Iron  Works.    James 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  31 

Donahue  died  soon  but  Peter  survived  him  long  enough 
to  build  the  railroad  to  Cloverdale,  and  San  Jose. 

During  the  winter  of  1852-3  all  kinds  of  merchandise 
was  sold  throughout  the  state  at  the  most  extravagant 
prices.  Flour  was  sold  in  San  Francisco  at  fifty-five 
dollars  a  barrel,  wholesale.  Ham  and  bacon  shipped 
around  the  Horn  and  so  full  of  salt  it  took  six  hours 
to  freshen  it  sufficiently  to  make  it  edible,  was  sold  at 
thirty-five  cents  a  pound;  and  butter  also  shipped 
around  the  Horn,  salted  in  brine,  sold  for  sixty  and 
seventy  cents,  sugar  at  twenty-five  and  other  things 
in  proportion. 

When  these  articles  of  necessity  were  delivered 
and  sold  at  the  mines  the  prices  were  doubled  and 
quadrupled. 

Workmen  received  good  wages.  Longshoremen,  for 
instance,  received  a  dollar  an  hour  and  mechanics 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  dollars  a  day. 

In  1854  I  first  went  to  Marysville,  which  was  then 
the  base  of  supplies  for  adjacent  territory. 

Money  was  abundant. 

The  great  majority  of  the  population  being  young 
men  almost  entirely  without  home  restraint,  they 
were  fond  of  excitement  and  full  of  enterprise. 

Gambling  houses  and  dance-halls  did  a  flourishing 
business. 

Most  of  the  goods  sent  out  from  Marysville,  were 
packed  into  the  mountains,  although  there  was  much 
teaming.  The  freight  charges  ranged  from  one  cent 
a  i)0und  to  as  high  as  twenty. 


32  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Every  day  from  two  hundred  to  a  thousand  mules 
were  loaded  and  sent  out,  besides  the  many  teams 
that  left  the  town  for  the  mines  in  the  foot-hills. 

Placer  mining  flourished.  People  were  always  ready 
to  believe  any  story,  however  fabulous,  pertaining 
to  a  new  discovery  of  gold. 

A  story  was  circulated,  I  remember,  of  the  marvelous 
richness  of  Gold  Lake,  where,  it  was  said,  men  could 
earn  with  pick  and  shovel  from  five  hundred  to  a  thou- 
sand dollars  a  day.  Thousands  left  diggings  where 
they  were  making  from  twenty-five  to  a  hundred  dollars 
a  day  for  the  new  mining  camp  in  Sierra  county,  only 
to  find  that  they  had  been  handsomely  buncoed.  Of 
course  their  old  claims,  on  their  return,  had  been  seized. 

The  same  thing  occurred  in  1855,  when  half  the  miners 
of  the  north  went  upon  a  wild  goose  chase  to  Kern 
River  in  what  is  now  known  as  Kern  County.  Again, 
in  1857,  they  left  by  thousands  for  Frazer  River  in 
British  Columbia.  In  the  last  named  place  there 
was  gold  in  a  limited  quantity  but  the  best  of  it  only 
paid  ten  dollars  a  day. 

In  1849  Andrew  Goodyear  located  on  Goodyear's 
Bar,  on  the  Yuba  River,  Here  he  kept  a  small  supply 
store  at  the  same  time  mining  on  the  river-bar.  In 
November  of  that  year  Major  Downie  came  to  the 
camp  and  spent  four  or  five  days  there,  then  went  up 
the  river  four  or  five  miles  to  what  is  now  Downieville, 
prospecting  for  gold.  In  four  days  he  returned  with 
thirty-six  hundred  dollars  in  gold  dust  which  he  had 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  33 

picked  out  of  the  crevices  of  the  rock  with  his  jack- 
knife. 

Downie  paid  Goodyear  twelve  hundred  dollars  for 
two  barrels  of  flour  and  offered  twelve  hundred  more 
to  have  it  taken  up  to  his  camp,  Goodyear  saw  there 
was  a  storm  coming  on,  so  declined  the  offer,  as  he  had 
to  get  his  mules  over  the  mountains  and  place  them 
under  shelter  to  prevent  their  being  snowed  in.  Such 
animals  were  too  valuable  to  risk  losing  even  for  so 
handsome  a  sum  as  twelve  hundred  dollars. 

Negro  Tent  was  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  about 
fifteen  miles  from  Goodyear's  Bar.  In  crossing  the 
mountain  Goodyear  lost  about  half  of  his  mules  in 
the  snow-drifts,  but  reached  Negro  Tent  by  evening 
and  spent  the  night  drinking  whiskey  at  the  price  of 
one  dollar  a  drink.  Upon  hearing  him  relate  this  I 
asked  if  he  did  not  get  drunk. 

"Get  drunk?"  he  exclaimed,  "Not  on  that  whiskey. 
Those  negroes  must  have  bought  a  barrel  of  whiskey 
some  time  the  pre\'ious  spring  and  as  fast  as  it  was 
drawn  out  refilled  it  with  water;  so  by  the  time  I  got 
there,  there  was  mighty  little  left  of  whiskey  but  the 
smell." 

In  1849-50  almost  all  the  mining  was  done  by  "rock- 
ers." In  1851  this  scheme  had  given  place  to  what 
was  called  a  "long  tom" — a  wooden  sluice  twent}'' 
feet  long,  with  cleats  of  wood  in  the  bottom,  into  which 
pay  dirt  and  gravel  was  shoveled.  The  gravel  and 
debris  was  washed  off  while  the  gold  remained  in  the 


34  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

bottom  among  the  cleats.  Some  ground  along  the 
river,  especially  where  it  was  "wing-dammed,"  was 
marvelously  rich. 

During  1852  hydraulic  power  was  introduced  by  a 
man  named  Laird,  a  Georgian,  at  Grass  Valley.  He 
had  little  more  than  a  garden  hose,  the  duck-casing 
being  light.  From  this  small  beginning  came  the 
hydraulic  giant  of  the  present  day,  throwing  its  eight 
hundred  to  a  thousand  inches  of  water,  washing  down 
mountain-sides. 

In  1852  the  ''Live  Yankee  Company"  in  Forest  City, 
Sierra  County,  discovered  the  "Ancient  River  Bed," 
where  gold  was  found  in  a  gulch  and  seemed  to  extend 
under  a  mountain  which  rose  two  thousand  feet.  They 
tunneled  into  the  mountain-side  and  there  disclosed, 
in  the  bed  of  an  old  river,  great  quantities  of  very 
rich  river-gravel.  This  Company  declared  dividends 
to  the  extent  of  six  millions  of  dollars. 

It  is  now  a  well-established  fact  that,  at  one  time 
in  the  remote  past,  the  rivers  of  California  must  have 
run  in  a  different  direction  from  that  of  their  present 
course,  and  that  a  second  upheavel  of  nature  buried 
these  ancient  rivers  beneath  mountain  ranges  towering 
from  one  to  three  thousand  feet  high. 

The  "Oregon,"  another  mining  company  there,  had 
claims  which    also  proved  very  rich. 

This  rich  section  came  to  be  known  as  the  "Blue 
Gravel  Diggings,"  and  ten  years  later  the  old  river 
bed  had  been  traced  from  Forest  City,  through  the 
"Fur   Cap,"  "Eureka"  and  "Montezuma"  to  "Wash- 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  35 

ington  Camp"  in  Plumas  County,  a  distance  of  fifty 
miles. 

Many  miners  spent  years  in  rimning  tunnels  into 
the  mountains  in  efforts  to  strike  this  ancient  river 
bed  at  other  points;  some  consuming  two  or  three 
years  in  the  task,  and  were  rewarded,  in  a  measure, 
by  securing  comfortable  fortunes  therefrom. 

The  fluming  of  rivers  was  first  commenced  on  Feather 
River,  near  Bidwell's  Bar  in  the  year  1853. 

Some  of  these  river  claims  were  valueless  while 
others  paid  enormously;  and  it  was  through  this  that 
I  first  became  interested  in  mining.  It  occurred  some- 
what in  this  wise. 

In  1858  my  partner  and  I  were  the  owners  of  a  rough, 
wooden  building,  on  Feather  River,  which  had  been 
used  as  a  boarding  house.  A  man  by  the  name  of 
Hart  secured  contracts  to  flume  several  claims  on  the 
river  near  us.  The  claims  were  the  "Junction,"  "Nia- 
gara" and  the  "Ohio."  Hart  proposed  to  buy  our 
house,  and  I  offered  to  let  him  have  it  for  six  hmidred 
dollars.  Had  he  made  me  an  offer  of  two  hundred 
dollars  he  could  have  had  the  house.  His  reply  to 
my  offer  was,  that  if  I  would  take  twenty-seven  hun- 
dred dollars'  worth  of  stock  of  his  companies  and  would 
give  him  a  thousand  dollars  as  he  wanted  it,  he  would 
allow  me  seventeen  hundred  dollars  on  the  house. 
This  was  in  April,  1856. 

The  bargain  was  made. 

About  the  twentieth  of  September  the  claims  on 
the  river  were  drained,  and  within  the  next  six  weeks 


36  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

I  had  realized  from  my  investment  about  twenty-seven 
thousand  dollars,  when  there  came  a  rise  in  the  river 
that  washed  out  the  dams  and  destroyed  the  flumes 
which  put  a  stop  to  our  mining  for  that  time. 

Quartz-mining,  at  this  time,  was  not  a  favorite 
industry.  It  had  been  prosecuted  to  some  extent  in 
Nevada  and  other  counties  of  California,  but  the  methods 
used  were  very  crude.  In  using  it  the  rock  had  to  be 
very  rich  to  make  it  pay,  as  the  crushing  of  the  ore 
was  done  almost  entirely  by  arrastras;  sometimes  run 
by  water-power,  but  in  the  majority  of  cases  by  horses 
or   mules. 

One  of  these  arrastras  could  crush  only  about  five 
hundred  to  a  thousand  pounds  a  day. 

Shortly  after  this  came  the  introduction  of  the  Chili 
Mills,  built  after  the  fashion  of  the  arrastras.  The 
Chili  Mills  were  composed  of  two  heavy  rollers  which 
were  made  of  solid  stones,  from  a  thousand  to  twelve 
hundred  pounds  in  weight.  There  were  two  stones  in 
a  mill.  By  this  process  the  ore  was  first  broken  into 
pieces  about  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg,  before  being  intro- 
duced into  the  arrastra,  as  much  as  a  ton  a  day  could 
be  easily  milled. 

The  first  real  quartz  mill  was  erected  in  Mariposa  in 
1850.  The  second  in  Nevada  City  in  1851;  in  1858, 
there  were  258  in  the  state,  having  2600  stamps,  only 
about  50  were  successfully  worked. 

They  were  crude  affairs,  most  of  them  having  wooden 
stems;  but  it  was  not  long  before  these  were  replaced 
by  those  of  iron.     In  these  first  machines  the  stem  did 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  37 

not  revolve.  Only  a  few  years  elapsed  before  the  mill 
which  crushed  only  half  a  ton  to  the  stamp  was  im- 
proved so  as  to  crush  from  two  to  three  tons  to  the 
stamp.  At  first  these  stamp  mills  ran  not  exceeding 
forty  drops  to  the  minute;  the  stamps  were  light,  weigh- 
ing not  more  than  five  hundred  pounds;  and  the  amal- 
gamating process  was  done  on  the  outside  copper 
plates. 

About  this  time  quicksilver  was  introduced  into  the 
batteries  by  George  D.  Roberts,  in  a  quartz  mill  in 
Grass  Valley,  California.  The  discovery  proved  so 
imiversally  satisfactory  that  it  was  soon  adopted  every- 
where. 

Quartz  mining  grew  apace.  Among  the  quartz  mines 
located  in  the  early  days  were  the  old  "Alhson  Ranch," 
in  Nevada  County,  the  "Sierra  Buttes,"  in  Sierra 
County  and  the  "Plumas  Eureka,"  in  Plumas  County. 
All  of  these  were  rich  and  famous  mines,  paying  their 
owTiers  handsomely. 

In  1853  a  man  by  the  name  of  Brannan  came  into 
Grass  Valley  and  located  what  was  afterwards  known 
as  the  "Rocky  Bar"  mine.  He  organized  a  company 
with  a  capital  of  $80,000,  all  of  which  was  expended 
upon  a  tunnel,  in  a  vain  endeavor  to  strike  a  vein  at 
a  low  depth.  He  called  upon  his  friends  for  more 
money,  for  he  felt  certain  of  success  in  the  end.  Re- 
luctantly they  yielded.  $20,000  more  was  used.  That 
gone,  still  $25,000  more  of  his  own  was  expended, 
and  still  barren  rock  was  his  only  reward.  A  fit  of 
desperation  seized  the  man;  he  could  stand  no  more. 


38  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

He  rushed  home,  killed  his  wife  and  three  httle  children 
and  finished  the  terrible  tragedy  by  committing  suicide. 
He  left  a  note  saying,  that  he  felt  that  he  not  only 
had  ruined  himself  but  had  impoverished  his  friends. 
Having  no  desire  to  live  longer,  and  not  wishing  to 
leave  his  wife,  and  little  ones  to  the  cold  charity  of 
the  world,  he  had  concluded  to  take  them  with  himself 
across  the  border. 

The  same  tunnel  which  drove  poor  Brannan  to  de- 
spair was  sold  for  a  nominal  sum  to  William  and  Robert 
Watt,  two  brothers,  employed  at  the  time  in  the  camp 
as  mechanical  engineers.  In  two  days  after  they  com- 
menced work  upon  it,  the  ledge  of  gold  was  found. 
Its  width  was  from  six  inches  to  four  feet.  At  six 
inches  the  ore  ran  $1,000  to  the  ton;  when  four  feet  it 
averaged  $50.  And  so  these  two  young  men  mined 
away,  until  they  dipped  into  another  claim.  Their 
dividends,  before  this  time,  had  reached  over  $2,250,000. 

Two  days'  work  but  too  often  measures  the  distance 
between  abject  poverty  and  fabulous  wealth. 

To  illustrate  the  varying  fortunes  of  those  engaged 
in  what  has  since  become  known  as  pocket  diggings, 
or  veins,  I  recall  the  following:  In  1856  there  was 
discovered  in  Butte  County  the  49-56,  a  quartz  mine 
from  which  was  taken  $130,000  in  five  weeks,  with  only 
a  small  four  stamp  mill,  and  when  this  pocket  was 
worked  out  no  more  was  found.  In  1857  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Chandler  took  from  a  decomposed  quartz 
vein  in  Yuba  County  $60,000  in  three  weeks,  and 
bottomed   the  mine.     In   1868  my  brother,   Wm.   A 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  39 

Farish,  and  partners,  took  from  one  of  the  veins  the 
largest  nugget  ever  found  in  the  state.  At  the  time 
he  was  Superintendent  of  the  Sierra  Buttes  Mine  owned 
by  Reis  Bros.,  who  placed  him  in  charge  of  the  property 
when  he  was  only  twenty  years  old,  and  under  his 
management  it  paid  handsomely. 

The  following  account  of  its  discovery  is  given  by 
my  brother,  John  B.   Farish: 

"I  was  a  boy  visiting  my  brother,  Wm.  A  Farish, 
Superintendent  of  the  Sierra  Buttes  Mine  in  Sierra 
County,  California,  when  the  big  nugget  was  discovered. 
Jim  Winsted,  an  old  prospector  and  cattle  man  of  that 
neighborhood,  then  told  me  the  story  of  the  discovery 
of  the  Monumental  Mine,  and,  being  a  boy,  the  story 
sunk  deeply  upon  my  mind.  He  stated  that  about  the 
year  1861  or  '62,  some  merchants  and  operators  from 
San  Francisco  were  visiting  at  the  Sierra  Buttes  Mine. 
As  they  were  riding  down  the  trail  one  of  the  mules 
became  obstreperous  and  engaged  in  some  frantic 
bucking  at  one  point  on  the  trail.  The  next  morning 
some  of  the  gentlemen  returning  on  foot  were  noticing 
the  way  in  which  the  mule  had  scratched  up  the  trail, 
when  to  the  surprise  of  all  one  of  them  picked  up  a 
little  gold  nugget  worth  about  a  dollar.  They  kept 
the  discovery  secret  but  prospected  to  some  extent 
over  the  hill  without  finding  the  source  from  which 
the  nugget  came.  Exhausting  their  vacation  and  meet- 
ing Winsted,  they  told  him  of  their  discovery  and 
exhibited  the  nugget.  Winsted,  Wm.  A.  Farish  and 
one  other  systematically  prospected  the  hill,  the  method 


40  The  Gold  Hunters  of  Califohnia 

being  to  pan  regularly  across  the  hill,  noting  the  points 
at  which  colors  of  gold  failed  to  appear  in  the  pan. 
AS ter  determining  one  such  line,  their  pannings  were 
made  along  a  similar  course  at  a  higher,  point  on  the 
hill.  Along  this  second  course  the  limits  of  the  gold 
were  found  at  points  nearer  together  than  in  the  first, 
the  lower  line.  The  third,  fourth  and  fifth  lines  were 
determined  until  two  approximate  lines  were  deter- 
mined extending  up  and  down  the  hill,  diverging  at 
the  bottom  and  converging  at  the  top.  Having  deter- 
mined this  they  began  sinking  holes  and  trenching  in 
the  soft  loam  and  at  the  apex  and  it  was  not  long 
before  they  located  a  little  narrow  seam  of  very  rich 
decomposed  quartz.  The  quartz  was  thoroughly  de- 
composed and  sprinkled  all  through  with  gold.  A 
sluice  box  was  put  in  and  during  the  summer  some 
$25,000  or  $30,000  was  washed  out  from  the  surface 
gravel  and  material  from  the  shaft  which  reached  a 
depth  of  some  25  feet.  At  this  point  the  crevice,  the 
gold  and  everything  seemed  to  disappear  and  though 
the  shaft  was  sunk  a  number  of  feet  deeper  and  little 
drifts  were  run  in  each  direction,  nothing  of  sufficient 
value  to  encourage  further  work  was  found  and  the 
Monumental  Mine  became  a  thing  of  the  past.  Winsted 
embarked  in  the  cattle  business  and  was  quite  success- 
ful in  it  until  the  summer  of  '68  when  affairs  went  rather 
against  him.  One  evening  going  down  the  trail  from 
the  Sierra  Buttes  mine  to  his  home  near  Sierra  City 
with  a  crow-bar  on  his  shoulder  and  wondering  how  he 
could  "raise  the  dust''  he  passed  the  old  Monumental 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  41 

Mine,  and  it  still  being  early  in  the  afternoon,  went 
into  the  bottom  of  the  old  shaft  and  with  the  crow-bar 
began  churning  a  hole  along  what  appeared  to  be  the 
line  of  the  cr'^.vice  that  had  been  so  rich  above.  He 
dug  the  hole  as  deep  as  he  could,  pulling  the  dirt  out 
with  his  hand.  The  dirt  that  was  taken  from  the 
bottom  of  the  hole  he  carefully  tied  in  his  handkerchi(!f 
and  carried  it  to  his  house  where  panning  showed 
enough  encouragement  for  him  to  do  further  prospect- 
ing. From  this  point  on  I  was,  as  a  boy,  cognizant  of 
the  facts,  which  as  I  now  remember,  were  as  follows: 
Honest,  as  the  old  California  prospector  usually  was, 
he  notified  all  of  his  old  partners,  and  the  claim  which 
had  been  abandoned  and  open  to  location  by  any  one 
who  desired  to  take  it  up,  was  re-located,  all  partners 
having  the  same  interests  they  originally  had.  Two 
men  were  put  to  work, — an  Irishman  by  the  name 
of  John  Tierney,  who  had  been  educated  for  the  priest- 
hood but  who  had  retrograded,  and  a  Mexican  known 
as  Mexican  Frank,  Sluice  boxes  were  fixed  up  and  in 
the  first  three  weeks  something  over  $3,000  was  washed 
out.  Wandering  around  over  the  hills,  I  showed  up 
one  afternoon  at  the  mouth  of  the  Monumental  shaft 
just  after  the  noon  hour  and  saw  Tierney  and  Frank 
in  the  bottom  eagerly  and  frantically  chopping  and 
prying  in  a  crevice  about  eight  inches  wide.  I  called 
to  them  to  know  what  was  the  matter,  when  Tierney 
exclaimed  in  an  excited  way:  "The  whole  bottom  of 
the  shaft  is  solid  gold!  Look  at  that!"  And  with 
that  he  held  up  a  piece  that  was  as  large  as  his  double 


42  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

fists  which  he  had  pried  out.  Young  as  I  was,  I  told 
him  that  whatever  it  was  to  get  it  out  whole  and  not 
break  it  up.  They  rather  objected  to  this,  saying 
that  it  would  take  too  much  digging  and  cost  too  much, 
but  I  insisted,  and  during  the  conversation  my  brother, 
Wm.  A.  Farish,  appeared,  and  going  into  the  shaft, 
supplemented  my  request  with  his  orders.  The  nugget 
as  taken  out  weighed  103  pounds.  It  was  boiled  in 
nitric  acid  for  one  afternoon  and  weighed  97  pounds 
avoirdupois  after  being  cleaned.  Some  six  or  eight 
pieces  of  it  varying  in  size  from  that  of  a  single  fist 
to  that  of  a  double  fist  had  been  broken  off  before  the 
directions  came  to  take  it  out  whole.  Had  this  addi- 
tional amount  not  been  broken  off,  the  weight  would 
have  been  augmented  by  probably  20  or  25  pounds. 
They  continued  taking  out  the  rich  dirt  in  the  bottom 
of  the  shaft  until  midnight,  when  it  gave  out  as  sud- 
denly as  it  appeared.  The  total  production  at  this 
time  was  $56,000,  of  which  the  nugget  formed  almost 
half.  One  of  the  interests  was  sold  in  the  excitement 
for  what  appeared  to  be  a  very  small  sum,  but  though 
the  remaining  owners  did  a  great  deal  of  work  and 
expended  quite  a  number  of  thousands  of  dollars, 
nothing  more  has  ever  been  found  in  the  Monumental 
Mine. 

These  pocket  mines  were  common  in  Maricopa, 
Butte,  Sierra  Plumas,  Shasta  and  Trinity  counties  but 
hardly  known  in  Nevada,  Amador  and  Calaveras 
counties. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  43 

The  first  quartz  mill  I  ever  saw  was  at  the  old  "Ban- 
ner" mine  in  Butte  county,  near  Oregon  City,  California, 
owned  by  Sparks  and  Smith.  It  was  a  twelve  stamp 
mill,  and  could  crush  probably  eight  to  ten  tons  a  day. 
Their  ore  milled  $200  per  ton.  They  had  a  little  cabin 
about  12x20  feet  in  which  to  transact  their  business. 
Twelve  feet  square,  in  front,  was  used  as  an  office, 
and  the  rear  room  was  used  as  a  store-house  for  cham- 
pagne, which  they  very  liberally  distributed. 

The  ore-chimney  in  this  mine  was  about  400  feet 
long,  with  an  average  width  of  about  four  feet.  They 
worked  this  down  to  about  200  feet,  when  water  was 
encountered,  and  they  were  unable  to  further  handle  it, 
for  lack  of  pumping  machinery. 

So  mine  and  money  and  champagne  all  gave  out. 

It  may  be  stated  that  placer  and  river  mining  were 
exhausted  in  the  state  in  1857,  after  which  attention 
was  directed  to  hydraulic  and  vein  mining,  both  methods 
requiring  large  investment  of  capital  in  order  to  be 
successful  in  them. 

From  this  time  on  California  was  no  longer  the  poor 
man's  paradise,  where  he  could  get  gold  without  the 
outlay  of  money. 

Many  quartz  mines  were  found  and  developed  into 
paying  properties,  but  the  prospector  shared  only  to 
a  very  small  extent  in  the  prosperity  of  the  mines  he 
fomid. 

But  little  was  known  of  vein  mining  in  those  days. 
The  education  of  miners,  in  that  direction,  may  be 


44  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

said  to  date  from  1859,  when  the  Comstock  Lode  was 
discovered  in  what  was  then  the  Territory  of  Washoe, 
but  now  the  state  of  Nevada. 

My  first  trip  to  the  Comstock  was  in  the  spring  of 
1860.  The  dangers  attending  those  engaged  in  the 
primitive  scheme  of  carrying  freight  at  this  time  can 
best  be  illustrated  by  one  of  my  own  experiences. 

I  had  become  the  owner  of  a  mule  train  and  in  May 
of  that  year  took  out  to  Carson  City  a  cargo  of  freight 
on  twenty-eight  pack-mules,  receiving  therefor  twenty 
cents  per  pound.  After  I  had  started  from  Marysville, 
I  learned  that  the  Ormsby  party,  comprising  seventy- 
five  men,  had  started  from  Virginia  City  to  punish 
the  Piute  Indians  for  numerous  depredations,  and  had 
been  ambushed  and  nearly  the  whole  party  massacred. 
This  news  reached  me  at  Downieville  by  letter.  The 
owners  of  the  goods  I  was  carrying,  instructed  me  to 
store  the  goods  and  return. 

Being  young  and  inexperienced  I  did  not  realize 
that  by  obeying  orders  the  owners  of  the  merchandise 
were  made  liable  for  the  freight  whenever  I  could 
deliver  the  goods.  After  sizing  up  the  situation  I 
determined  to  go  forward  until  I  should  at  least  see 
some  Indians,  feeling  perfectly  safe  with  my  big  navy 
revolver  m  my  belt. 

My  packers  were  unarmed. 

After  leaving  Jamison  City  and  striking  the  valleys 
of  Nevada,  the  country  for  fifty  or  sixty  miles  was 
deserted.     The  Indians  had  retired  to  their  sti'onghold 


Thb  Gold  Hunters  of  California  45 

at  Pyramid  Lake,  some  thirty-five  miles  to  the  west 
of  the  road  I  was  traveling  and  I  passed  through  safely. 

In  the  meantime  there  had  been  organized  three 
companies  of  volunteers  from  California,  and  one  com- 
pany from  the  Territory  mider  Col.  Jack  Hayes  (famous 
m  the  annals  of  the  Mexican  war  as  the  leader  of  the 
Texas  regiment)  to  proceed  against  the  Indians. 

After  delivering  the  goods  I  went  to  their  camp 
about  12  miles  from  Virginia  City,  where  I  was  informed 
of  the  forth-coming  tussle,  and  all  were  eager  to  meet 
the  redskins. 

The  fight  took  place  about  six  days  after  this. 

Many  Indians  were  killed  with  no  loss  to  the  whites, 
and  so  far  as  the  Piutes  were  concerned,  peace  was 
restored. 

After  leaving  the  camp  of  the  soldiers  I  traveled 
alone  ahead  of  my  train.  Some  20  miles  beyond 
Peavine  I  took  the  wrong  trail  which  carried  me  to 
Long  Valley  near  Honey  Lake  Valley. 

At  ten  o'clock  that  night,  having  traveled  90  miles 
that  day,  I  unsaddled  my  mule  and  camped  for  the 
night.  It  was  quite  cold  and  to  keep  warm  I  covered 
myself  the  best  I  could  with  my  saddle-blanket,  for 
I  feared  to  make  a  fire,  the  light  of  which  might  attract 
the  notice  of  the  Indians.  From  the  lay  of  the  land  I 
felt  quite  sure  that  I  was  near  their  stronghold.  My 
suspicious,  I  confess,  caused  me  some  uneasiness. 

At  dawn  I  was  astir,  saddled  my  mule,  and  started 
out  to  prospect  any  cabin  I  might  find   for  food,  as  I 


46  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

had  eaten  nothing  since  the  previous  morning.  I  found 
nothing;  the  owners  had  taken  everything  Avith  them 
when  they  left. 

The  Piutes  were  again  at  it.  Not  a  white  man 
could  be  seen  in  or  about  any  cabin  in  the  valley.  I 
tried  to  fire  my  revolver  but  found  that  the  caps  would 
not  explode.  After  riding  about  five  miles  I  started 
back,  when  I  saw  in  the  distance  three  or  four  figures 
on  horse-back  traveling  ahead  of  me. 

I  knew  they  were  Indians,  because  they  wore  no  hats. 

Dodging  into  a  ravine,  I  waited  for  the  Indians  to  get 
out  of  sight.     It  was  not  the  most  pleasant  waiting. 

Four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  found  me  back  in 
Peavine.  After  taking  a  sleep  I  learned  of  the  past 
night's  Indian  raid  in  Honey  Lake  Valley,  where  they 
had  burned  five  houses  not  more  than  five  miles  from 
where  I  slept  alone  in  my  saddle-blanket.  I  con- 
gratulated myself  on  my  escape;  for  I  had  no  desire 
to  be  an  Indian's  victim  and  have  my  scalp  adorning  his 
wigwam. 

My  train  of  pack-mules,  in  the  meantime,  had  gone 
steadily  and  safely  ahead.  My  men  not  finding  me  at 
Jamison  City  believed  that  I  had  been  murdered  by 
the  Indians  and  were  organizing  a  force  to  go  in  search 
of  me,  which  was  obviated  by  my  timely  arrival. 


CHAPTER  III 

Upon  my  arrival  in  San  Francisco,  in  1852,  almost 
all  religious  denominations  were  represented.  Not 
alone  in  the  metropolis  but  in  all  the  leading  interior 
towns.  It  was  only  a  short  time  after  this  until  churches 
were  erected  in  all  parts  of  the  state.  Catholic  priests 
and  protestant  ministers  in  friendly  rivalry  vied  with 
each  other  in  diverting  the  thoughts  and  minds  of 
men  from  the  illusive  pleasures  of  earth  life  and  direct- 
ing them  to  the  more  solid  and  enduring  treasures 
awaiting  those  who  live  and  die  in  the  Faith. 

Among  those  who  were  prominent  in  the  fifties,  as 
ministers  in  San  Francisco,  were  Dr.  Briggs  of  the 
North  Methodist  church.  Dr.  Scott,  Presbyterian, 
Bishop  Kipp,  Episcopalian,  Dr.  T.  Starr  King,  Unitarian 
and  Dr.  Fitzgerald  of  the  Methodist  Espicopal  Church, 
South. 

Among  the  Roman  Catholics  was  Arch-Bishop 
Allemany,  who  presided  over  the  numerous  priest- 
hood of  the  Pacific  coast.  Especially  prominent  among 
these  were  Fathers  Burchard,  Yilligre  and  Gallagher, 
all  learned  and  eloquent  men  devoting  their  lives  to 
the  advancement  of  Christianity. 

Dr.  Fitzgerald,  who  has  since  risen  to  a  Bishopric 
in  his  church,  was  elected  School  Superintendent  of 
the  state  in  1867.  He  was  a  man  of  rare  intellectual 
attainments  and  as  a  pulpit  orator,  sedate,  earnest 

47 


48  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

and  logical.  In  private  life  he  was  full  of  fun  and 
frolic,  possessed  of  great  personal  magnetism,  not 
bigotted,  but  broad  and  liberal  minded,  tender  and  sym- 
pathetic, charitable  in  thought  and  deed  he  was  much 
beloved  by  all  who  knew  him;  and  more  especially 
by  the  young  people  of  the  day.  With  these  he  entered 
heartily  into  all  their  innocent  amusements,  and  by 
his  wit  and  humor  often  made  himself  the  life  of  the 
party. 

Public  schools  were  established  in  California  in  1853, 
I  think.  These  gradually  improved  and  increased 
in  number  as  families  multiplied  and  as  the  revenues 
for  these  purposes  became  greater.  So,  in  the  excited, 
feverish  days  of  the  early  gold-hunters  was  laid  the 
foundation  for  public  morals  and  civic  virtues,  in  the 
building  of  school  houses  and  church  edifices,  from 
which  have  grown  the  splendid  institutions  of  the  kind 
that  crown  and  bless  the  Golden  State  to-day. 

From  the  time  of  the  admission  of  California  into 
the  Union,  the  state  has  been,  and  is,  noted  for  the 
ability  and  brilliancy  of  her  bar.  As  early  as  the 
fifties  such  eminent  men  as  Stephen  J.  Field,  S.  Heyden- 
felt,  Joe  Baldwin,  Hugh  Murray,  Joseph  P.  Hoge, 
Henry  H.  Haight,  Eugene  Casserly  and  many  others  of 
note,  shone  as  legal  lights  and  left  the  impress  of  their 
genius  upon  the  litigation  and  legislation  of  the  times. 

A  Mr.  Lawrence  was  the  attorney  for  Palmer,  Cooke 
&  Co.,  a  most  able  lawyer  but  very  eccentric,  as  the 
following  anecdotes  of  his  life,  as  told  to  me  by  Mr. 
Palmer,  will  go  to  show. 


Finding  the  Big  Nugget. — Page  42. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  49 

At  one  time,  after  a  night  of  drinking  and  gambling, 
h(3  one  afternoon  called  on  Palmer  at  the  bank,  dressed 
in  gray  flannel  shirt  and  over-alls,  a  broad-brimmed 
hat,  a  belt  containing  two  six-shooters  and  a  bo\\'ie- 
knife  aromid  his  waist,  and  informed  Palmer  that  he 
intended  to  leave  on  the  afternoon  boat  for  Sacra- 
mento and  the  mines. 

"Why  do  you  do  that?"  inquired  Palmer. 

"Because  I  have  spent  all  my  money  and  must 
earn  more,"  said  Lawrence,  who  never  kept  any  account 
of  how  he  stood  at  the  bank. 

"Why,"  said  Palmer,  "you  have  not  spent  all  your 
money,  surely.  Let  me  see."  And  turning  to  the 
book  of  daily  account  he  continued,  "You  have  a 
credit  here  of  $5,000." 

"Have  I?"  asked  Lawrence  incredulously. 

"Yes,  so  the  books  show." 

"Well,  then  I  will  not  go,"  decided  Lawrence,  who 
returned  to  his  ofRce  and  his  practice  of  law. 

Palmer  told  me  that  he  had  always  to  keep  Lawrence 
supplied  with  money.  Lawrence  never  presented  a 
bill  for  his  services  nor  stated  a  fee, 

"I  gave  him  money  as  he  needed  it,  and  he  never 
drew  more  than  the  bank  owed  him,"  was  what  Palmer 
said  to  me. 

Lawrence  left  suddenly  for  Australia,  and  no  one 
knew  w^here  he  had  gone.  Palmer  finally  located  him 
at  Melbourne,  by  the  following  incident: 

One  day  while  reading  a  Melbourne  paper  Palmer's 
attention  was  drawn  to  a  noted  case  that  was  being 


50  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

tried  in  the  courts  there.  The  account  stated  that 
the  attorney  who  was  conducting  one  side  of  the  case 
was  very  much  surprised  one  day  by  a  visit  from  a 
sheep-herder  who  gave  his  name  as  Lawrence.  He 
said  he  wished  to  talk  to  the  lawyer  about  the  case 
in  progress.  The  attorney  supposed  the  man  simply 
had  some  new  testimoney  to  offer  and  gave  him  an 
audience,  when,  to  his  utter  surprise  this  "sheep- 
herder"  launched  forth  into  a  dissertation  on  the  legal 
points,  saying: 

"I  have  watched  the  progress  of  this  case  in  my 
sheep  camp,  and  believing  you,  have  justice  on  your 
side,  would  like  to  see  you  win," 

The  lawyer  became  so  impressed  with  the  learning 
and  abiUty  of  the  man  that  he  employed  him  as  advis- 
ory counsel. 

Joe  Palmer  recognized  at  once  in  this  sheep-herder 
of  Melbourne  his  former  legal  adviser  and  sent  a  special 
messenger  out  to  Australia  to  induce  Lawrence  to 
return. 

He  made  a  brilliant  record  in  the  courts  of  California, 
and  was  on  his  way  to  Washington  City  to  argue  a 
land  case  for  his  clients,  Palmer,  Cooke  &  Co.,  in  1856, 
when  the  ship,  the  "Central  America,"  on  which  he 
sailed  went  down.  The  brave  Lawrence  refused  to 
leave  the  boat  until  all  the  women  and  children  were 
provided  with  means  of  escape;  and  the  last  that  was 
seen  of  that  big-hearted,  if  eccentric  man,  was  as  he 
calmly  leaned  against  the  main-mast  of  the  ill-fated 
vessel,  quietly  smoking  a  cigar. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  51 

In  1852  San  Francisco  could  boast  of  only  one  theatre, 
the  MetropoUtan,  a  primitive  structure,  indeed,  com- 
pared with  the  theatres  of  to-day. 

It  was  situated  on  Montgomery  Street,  corner  of 
Jackson,  if  I  remember  rightly. 

This  was  the  first  playhouse  erected  in  the  town. 
It  was  built,  I  think,  by  Tom  Maguire.  I  have  seen 
a  note  which  was  drawn  by  Maguire  in  1850,  in  con- 
nection with  this  theatre,  bearing  5%  interest  a  month. 
I  think  the  amount  on  the  face  of  the  note  was  $3,000. 
He  had  paid  on  it  some  $8,000,  and  in  1857  still  owed 
about  $15,000. 

At  this  theatre  I  saw  Edwin  Booth  play  as  a  stock 
actor,  also  Junius  Brutus  Booth,  his  brother;  and  such 
stars  as  the  elder  J.  K.  Hackett,  Julia  Deane  Hayne, 
Julia  Davenport,  who  afterwards  married  General 
Lander,  who  was  killed  in  the  Civil  War, —  Edwin 
Forrest  and  his  wife,  the  Guggenheim  sisters,  Buchanan, 
James  Stark  and  wife,  the  old  Bryant  Minstrels  and 
others  prominent  in  the  theatrical  world  at  that  time. 

Maguire  showed  a  great  deal  of  enterprise  in  bringing 
such  people  to  the  Coast,  considering  the  difficulties 
of  the  journey  and  the  time  necessary  to  be  consumed. 

The  theatre  was  largely  patronized,  not  only  in  San 
Francisco  but  in  the  interior  towns  of  Stockton,  Sacra- 
mento and  Marysville. 

About  the  year  1857  the  new  Bella  Union,  on  Kearney 
Street,  was  started  as  a  sort  of  music  hall  and  Gilbert's 
Melodeon,  not  quite  so  pretentious,  I  think,  about  a 
year  later. 


52  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Lola  Montez,  who  set  the  pubhc  tongue  wagging, 
made  her  first  appearance  in  October,  1853,  at  the 
Metropohtan.  She  attracted  large  audiences  at  the 
time  and  was  the  idol  of  the  gilded  youth  of  the  day. 
She  married  an  editor  in  San  Francisco,  but  soon 
after  her  honeymoon,  horse-whipped  him  and  turned 
him  adrift.  Soon  after  this  she  settled  in  Nevada  City, 
dying  there  a  few  years  later. 

Before  she  came  to  California  Lola  Montez  had  been 
the  mistress  of  the  King  of  Bavaria.  My  recollection 
of  her  is  that  she  was  about  five  feet  two  inches  tall, 
blue-eyed,  dark  hair;  a  fine  form  and  full  of  fascination 
for  men.  While  in  Nevada  City  she  met  the  Crabtree 
family,  and  taking  a  fancy  to  Lotta,  then  a  very  small 
girl,  taught  her  to  dance.  Old  man  Crabtree  settled 
at  Laporte,  in  Plumas  Comity,  about  1856. 

The  principal  saloon  in  Laporte  was  kept  by  a  man 
named  Bona,  who  was  a  very  fine  violinist.  Every 
Saturday  night  the  miners  would  gather  in  this  saloon, 
and  httle  Lotta  would  dance  for  the  crowd;  and  the 
miners  would  shower  dollars,  halves  and  quarters  on 
the  little  girl;  which  greatly  increased  the  fund  in  the 
family  treasury.  Lotta  first  appeared  on  the  stage 
at  Gilbert's  Melodeon  in  San  Francisco,  in  1859,  and 
in  1860,  at  the  Bella  Union.  Every  theatre-goer  knows 
her  stellar  history.  How  she  became  one  of  the  most 
profitable  stars  and  it  is  reputed  that  she  retired  worth 
some  $3,000,000. 

Ada  Isaacs  Menkin  was  born  in  New  Orleans,  and 
came  to  California  in  1858,  capturing  the  town  by  her 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  53 

realistic  presentation  of  Mazeppa.  She  was  a  very 
handsome  woman,  and,  hke  Lola  Montez,  most  charming 
but  inconstant  in  her  affections. 

After  playing  in  the  different  theatres  of  San  Francisco 
she  went  to  New  York.  I  think  she  went  in  the  company 
of  Heenan,  known  as  the  "Benicia  Boy,"  who  stood 
at  that  time  foremost  among  the  American  pugiUsts. 

Heenan  was  a  boiler  maker,  employed  in  the  govern- 
ment works  at  Benicia.  His  great  strength  having 
attracted  the  "sports"  of  the  day,  he  was  trained  for 
the  ring.  From  New  York  he  sailed  for  England 
where  he  was  matched  with  the  great  English  fighter, 
Tom  Sayers.     Menkin  accompanied  him. 

Soon  after  reaching  England  Menkin  deserted  Heenan 
and  returned  to  New  York  where  she  formed  the  acquain- 
tance of  Jim  Barclay,  a  California  gambler.  He  took 
her  to  Paris,  squandered  a  fortune  upon  her,  and  with 
her  usual  inconstancy,  she  deserted  him  for  the  elder 
Dumas,  with  whom  she  lived  for  a  number  of  years. 

So  infatuated  was  Barclay  with  her  that  when  she 
died  it  was  said  he  spent  $30,000  in  the  erection  of  a 
monument  to  her  memory  and  in  the  decoration  of 
her  grave  in  Paris. 


CHAPTER  IV 

Life  with  the  pioneers,  or  "argonauts,"  as  they  are 
now  called,  was  in  the  early  days  in  California  a  wild 
and  exciting  one. 

Young  men  full  of  energy  and  spirit  of  adventure, 
generous,  often  prodigal  with  their  money,  unrestrained 
by  social  ties, — as  there  were  few  women  in  the  west — 
the  embodiment  of  enterprise  and  courage,  a  perfect 
representation  of  the  true  American  spirit  of  progress, 
they  formed  a  complete  antithesis  to  the  Puritan 
spirit  of  the  East.  Here  were  represented  every  state 
in  the  Union,  every  civilization  of  the  world.  They 
heeded  not  the  attractions  of  the  valleys,  great  though 
they  were;  rich  in  agricultural  possibiUties,  but  were 
drawn  on  by  the  more  seductive  promises  of  fortune 
in  "The  Diggings." 

From  1852  to  1855  the  steamships  on  each  return 
were  crowded  with  the  fortunate  ones  who  were  return- 
ing home,  each  with  what  he  called  his  "pile";  being 
fortmies  ranging  from  $10,000  to  $100,000. 

Lands  were  in  a  wild  uncultivated  state,  A  Spanish 
grant  around  San  Jose  could  have  been  bought  for 
fifty  cents  an  acre. 

Wheat  for  a  great  many  years,  after  it  began  to  be 
grown  in  California,  was  shipped  around  the  Horn  to 
New  York,  and  all  the  flour  that  was  used  was  imported. 
There  were  no  flouring  mills  in  the  state  at  that  time. 

54 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  55 

Horace  Davis,  of  San  Francisco,  founded  and  owned 
the  Golden  Gate  Flour  Mills  about  1855.  Mills  around 
Marysville  and  Stockton  were  started  about  the  same 
time.  And  the  Chinese  and  Portuguese  began  to  raise 
vegetables  for  the  San  Francisco  market. 

Up  to  this  time  very  little  fruit  had  been  grown. 
The  first  peaches  and  apples  I  saw  in  the  state  were 
grown  by  a  man  called  G.  G.  Briggs,  at  Marysville 
and  he  received  a  dollar  each  for  a  peach  or  apple  and 
at  the  same  time  obtained  six  dollars  each  for  water 
melons.  By  his  sales  he  laid  the  foundation  for  an 
independent  fortune. 

Among  those  who  have  been  identified  with  the 
early  history  of  California,  no  man  deserves  greater 
credit  than  Gen.  John  A.  Sutter.  A  more  noble  and 
generous-minded  man  has  never  lived.  A  native  of 
Switzerland,  yet  he  was  a  great  friend  to  all  Americans 
and  America.  At  one  time  he  owned  almost  the  whole 
of  Sacramento  valley.  In  1850-51  he  fitted  out,  at 
his  own  expense,  many  rehef  parties  to  pilot  the  imi- 
grants  across  the  Sierras  into  the  valley,  thus  saving 
the  lives  of  many  people. 

Sutter  lost  his  immense  fortune  afterwards  and  the 
state  of  California  gave  him  a  pension  during  his  declin- 
ing years.     He  cUed  in  1855. 

Many  stories  are  told  of  this  benevolent  man,  illus- 
trating his  friendship  and  fealty  to  his  friends.  One 
will  suffice  here. 

During  the  winter  of  1852  w^hen  Sacramento  was 
a  marsh,   and  drainage  ditches  had  just  been  dug, 


56  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

one  evening  after  a  friend  and  he  had  been  indulging 
a  little  too  freely  in  the  cup,  they  were  taking  a  stroll 
before  retiring  for  the  night,  when  the  friend  inad- 
vertently fell  into  one  of  the  newly  dug  canals. 

"I  can  not  pull  you  out,"  said  Sutter  regretfully, 
as  he  looked  down  at  his  less  lucky  friend,  "but  I  can 
come  down  and  sit  with  you,"  which  he  did. 

The  first  time  I  ever  heard  of  Haggin  &  Tevis  was 
in  1857.  They  were  then  lawyers  and  money  lenders 
in  Sacramento.  Moving  to  San  Francisco  they  gave 
up  the  practice  of  law  and  soon  became  prominent 
in  the  financial  affairs  of  the  city.  They  were  never 
speculators,  but  developers  of  new  enterprises;  bold 
and  daring  in  all  their  operations.  They  seemed  to 
have  adopted  the  advice  of  the  elder  Rothschilds  to  his 
son: 

"Be  cautious  in  planning  and  bold  in  execution." 

Judging  from  their  record  as  business  men,  the 
policy  of  Haggin  &  Tevis  seemed  to  be  when  they  did 
take  hold  of  anything  to  push  it  for  all  it  was  worth; 
and  so  far  as  I  know  they  never  met  with  a  defeat. 
They  controlled  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  for  many  years; 
and  the  prosperity  attendant  upon  that  firm  is  largely 
due  to  the  executive  ability  of  Haggin  &  Tevis. 

Tevis  was  the  executive  of  the  firm.  A  man  of 
great  nervous  force,  a  pleasant  smile  and  an  encourag- 
ing word.  All  his  tastes  were  those  of  a  banker  and 
promoter.  Tevis  represented  the  firm  in  most  of  the 
financial  companies  in  which  they  were  interested. 

They  were  business  men  and  left  no  trail  of  dollars 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  57 

behind  them.  Although  in  all  business  transactions 
their  word  was  ever  sacredly  kept. 

I  insert  here  an  incident  which  will  illustrate  the 
reputation  which  was  borne  by  this  firm  at  that  time. 

About  1854  the  firm  of  Haggin  &  Tevis  had  moved 
to  San  Francisco. 

A  Mexican,  who  like  most  Spanish  Americans,  owed 
a  considerable  amount  of  money,  was  being  harrassed 
by  his  creditors.  He  went  to  San  Francisco  and  bor- 
rowed from  Haggin  &  Tevis  a  sum  sufficient  to  cancel 
all  his  indebtedness.  A  short  time  afterward,  meeting 
a  friend,  he  told  him  he  was  now  financially  easy. 

"How  so?"  exclaimed  the  friend,  "have  you  paid  all 
your  debts?" 

"Well,"  replied  the  Mexican,  "you  see  Mr.  Haggin 
has  let  me  have  the  money  needed." 

"What  did  you  give  him?"  next  asked  the  friend, 

"A  mortgage  on  all  I  had,"  the  old  Californian 
repUed.     "I  have  given  him  a  paper  to  that  effect." 

"Let  me  see  the  paper." 

The  paper  was  produced.  In  it  the  Mexican  had 
agreed  to  pay  3%  a  month,  compounded  monthly. 
The  friend  explained  that  if  the  man  did  not  pay  off 
the  mortgage  in  two  or  three  years  Haggin  &  Tevis 
would  come  into  possession  of  ail  he  had  or  owned. 

After  business  hours  each  day  Tevis  could  be  seen 
taking  a  horse  back  ride,  with  one  or  more  of  his  children 
on  the  road  to  the  Cliff  House  near  San  Francisco. 

Haggin  was  strictly  a  business  machine.  The  office 
man  of  the  firm;  the  one  who  attended  to  all  the  details 


58  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

attaching  to  their  vast  business;  watching  carefully 
the  expenditures,  and  stopping  all  the  leaks.  It 
is  probable  that  he  originated  most  of  their  new  enter- 
prises; for  he  was  a  bolder  man  than  his  partner, 
and  was  possessed  of  great  self-confidence.  Ready 
at  all  times  to  back  his  judgment  in  any  direction. 
This  assertion  is  demonstrated  by  the  development  of 
his  vast  landed  estates  in  Kern  County,  and  his  many 
enterprises  with  the  late  Senator  Hearst.  All  of  which 
is  referred  to  in  another  part  of  this  book. 

Haggin  was  a  man  of  set  habits  and  of  great  mental 
absorption.  At  afternoons  he  usually  left  his  office 
at  3  o'clock.  Sometimes  a  brougham  would  be  in 
waiting  and  he  would  take  a  short  drive;  but  more 
frequently  he  would  walk  to  his  residence,  with  eyes 
fixed  on  the  side-walk,  seeing  no  one,  hearing  nothing, 
his  mind  apparently  engrossed  with  thought  upon 
some  knotty  problem  not  yet  solved  to  his  satisfaction. 

These  two  men,  Haggin  &  Tevis,  formed  a  strong 
combination;  and  it  was  said  of  them  that  they  could 
command  more  money  on  short  notice  than  any  bank 
in  the  city  of  San  Francisco.  They  were  enterprising 
and  public-spirited.  Potent  factors  in  the  development 
of  the  state  and  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  generally.  Tevis 
died  a  few  years  ago.  Haggin,  although  an  octogenarian 
is  opening  the  Cerro  de  Paso  mines  of  Peru,  and  is 
building  a  railroad  across  the  Andes  to  reach  them, 
one  of  the  largest  enterprises  in  South  America. 

In  1854  the  citizenship  of  Marysville  was  decidedly 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  59 

cosmopolitan.  Every  state  in  the  Union,  as  well  as 
every  nationality  was  well  represented. 

Count  Rosseau,  who  had  led  a  filibustering  life  in 
an  expedition  in  Sonora,  Mexico,  a  year  or  two  previous, 
was  there.  A  tall,  slender  man,  with  jet-black  hair 
flowing  over  his  shoulders,  he  presented  the  picturesque 
figure  of  a  true  soldier  of  fortune. 

WiUiam  Walker,  "The  grey-eyed  man  of  Destiny," 
as  his  southern  admirers  loved  to  call  him,  was  practic- 
ing law  there.  During  that  year  he  organized  a  fili- 
bustering expedition  to  go  to  Costa  Rico.  In  his 
proclamation  he  attempted  to  introduce  slavery,  which 
caused  a  revolution  against  him.  He  received  much 
support  from  New  York,  New  Orleans  and  San  Francisco. 
The  war  was  waged  for  two  years  with  varying  success. 
Finally  he  surrendered  to  a  British  man-of-war,  which 
gave  him  over  to  the  authorities  of  Costa  Rico,  who 
shot  him  without  loss  of  time. 

As  I  remember  him,  he  was,  a  man  about  five  feet 
four  inches  in  height,  well  built,  with  a  "bullet  head" 
placed  upon  square  shoulders,  and  weighing  perhaps 
135  pounds. 

Stephen  J.  Field  was  the  leading  lawyer  of  the  time 
at  Marysville.  He  enjoyed  a  very  large  and  lucrative 
practice  of  the  law.  In  1859  he  was  elected  to  the 
Supreme  Bench  of  the  state  of  California.  At  that 
time  he  had  two  or  three  suits  in  which  I  was  a  party. 
Two  days  before  he  left  to  take  his  seat  upon  the  bench, 
having  some  business  with  him  in  reference  to  these 


BO  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

suits,  I  called  to  see  him.  After  some  conversation, 
Mr.   Field  said  to  me: 

"Tom,  do  you  know  I  am  paying  the  people  of  Cali- 
fornia over  $40,000  a  year  for  the  privilege  of  serving 
them  upon  the  supreme  bench  of  the  state?" 

Then  he  went  on  to  say  that  the  year  previous  he 
had  received  in  fees  some  $47,000. 

Then  he  placed  his  hands  over  his  face  as  he  solemnly 
soliloquized  as  follows: 

"Ambition!  Ambition!  Glory!!  Glory!!"  then  looking 
up  he  cheerfully  said,  "Well,  well,  I  suppose  it  will  teach 
me  economy  to  hve  on  $6,000  a  year!" 

George  C.  Gorham,  afterwards  secretary  of  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,  was  at  that  time  city 
clerk  and  private  secretary  to  Judge  Fields. 

He  reached  Marysville  in  1852  as  a  member  of  a 
theatrical  company.  He  interested  himself  a  good 
deal  in  politics  and  became  a  power  in  the  county  of 
Yuba,  as  well  as  in  the  state.  In  1867  he  became  a 
candidate  of  the  Republican  party  for  governor  of 
California.  He  was  defeated,  however,  by  Henry  H. 
Haight,  the  Democratic  nominee,  and  was  chosen 
secretary  of  the  United  States  Senate  in  the  year  1868. 

The  old  time  trapper  and  mountaineer  was  also  in 
evidence  in  those  days  upon  the  streets  of  Marysville. 

"Peg-leg  Smith,"  a  famous  old  trapper,  I  remember 
very  well.  He  was  then  about  55  years  of  age,  very 
hale  and  hearty.  In  one  of  his  numerous  Indian 
fights,  his  leg  had  been  shattered  by  a  bullet  and  he 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  61 

had  amputated  it  himself;  which  will  go  to  show  the 
nerve  of  the  brave  old  man. 

Another  noted  trapper  was  Jim  Beckwith,  a  negro, 
who,  joining  the  Crow  Indians  long  before  gold  was 
discovered  in  California,  had  been  made  one  of  their 
chiefs. 

He  was  a  fine  specimen  of  the  physical  man;  six 
feet  tall,  lithe,  active,  all  bone  and  muscle,  with  features 
and  general  facial  expression  more  like  an  Indian  than 
a  negro.  His  name  is  preserved  in  Beckwith  Valley, 
Plumas  County,  California. 

Col.  E.  D.  Baker,  who  commanded  an  Illinois  regi- 
ment during  the  Mexican  war  made  his  first  appearance 
in  San  Francisco  some  time  in  1852.  Being  an  ardent 
Whig  he  stumped  the  state  during  that  autumn  for 
General  Scott. 

Baker  was  one  of  the  most  eloquent  men  I  ever  heard 
speak.  He  was  known  as  a  great  criminal  lawyer, 
and  as  such  was  employed  throughout  the  state,  receiv- 
ing fees  from  five  hundred  to  ten  thousand  dollars  in 
each  case.  This  amount  would  last  him  but  a  short 
time,  on  account  of  his  love  for  the  "tiger."  His 
wonderful  ability  as  a  lawyer,  however,  was  conceded 
by  every  one. 

Upon  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  in 
1856,  Baker  became  one  of  the  prominent  leaders 
of  that  party. 

The  fight  of  the  Democrats  over  the  admission  of 
Kansas  under  the  LeCompton  pro-slavery  constitution 


62  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

in  1858  was  waxing  fierce  and  strong  in  the  states  of 
California  and  Oregon.  Oregon  held  Indian  scrip  for 
money  expended  in  suppressing  the  Indian  tribes  in 
that  state,  which,  it  was  claimed  was  a  charge  upon 
the  national  government. 

Joe  Palmer,  of  the  firm  of  Palmer,  Cooke  &  Co., 
suggested  to  Baker  that  it  was  a  good  time  to  go  to 
Oregon,  organize  the  Republican  party  and  go  to  the 
Senate  on  that  ticket.  Baker  thereupon  admitted 
the  ambition  he  had,  also  his  poverty.  Palmer  in- 
troduced him  to  Loud  &  Hosmer,  a  wealthy  Uquor 
firm,  who  kindly  furnished  Baker  with  the  "sinews  of 
war,"  and  he  went  forthwith  to  the  field  of  active  battle. 

To  Oregon  he  went,  organized  the  Republican  party, 
and  by  coalition  with  the  Douglas  democrats  of  that 
state  was  elected,  sure  enough,  to  the  Senate  in  1861, 
He  was  made  Brigadier-General  by  President  Lincoln, 
still  holding  his  seat  in  the  Senate,  and  was  afterward 
killed  at  the  battle  of  Ball  Bluff.  His  remains  were 
brought  to  San  Francisco  and  are  interred  in  Laurel 
Hill  cemetery. 

Among  the  ''Argonauts"  was  Harry  Meigs.  Like 
all  the  rest  he  came  to  California  as  a  poor  man,  having 
failed  in  business  in  one  of  the  New  England  states. 
He  was  very  successful  for  several  years.  Was  the 
first  to  build  saw-mills  at  Puget  Sound,  which  supplied 
the  city  with  lumber.  Afterwards  investing  in  what 
was  afterwards  known  as  North  Beach,  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, he  built  Meig's  AVharf,  at  that  place. 

At  the  time  of  my  arrival  in  San  Francisco,  Meigs 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  63 

was  classed  as  one  of  the  rich  men  of  the  city.  He 
built  himself  a  handsome  residence,  magnificent  for 
that  day,  at  the  foot  of  Telegraph  Hill,  on  what  is  now 
N.  E.  corner  of  ]\Iontgomery  and  Broadway  Streets, 
San  Francisco. 

In  1854,  chartering  a  vessel,  Meigs  suddenly  left 
for  Chili,  South  America,  in  a  somewhat  m3'-sterious 
and  questionable  manner.  It  was  said  he  carried 
with  him  an  amount  aggregating  about  $250,000.  He 
was  next  heard  of  in  Peru.  Under  the  Peruvian  govern- 
ment he  became  a  contractor  in  the  building  of  railroads, 
by  which  he  amassed  a  large  fortune.  He  sent  an 
agent  to  San  Francisco  in  1868,  who  settled  up  all 
Meigs'  outstanding  private  debts.  It  was  reputed  of 
him  that  he  was  most  kind  and  hospitable  to  all  Amer- 
icans who  made  their  way  into  Peru,  and  of  whose 
presence  there  he  was  made  aware.  His  death  occurred 
sometime  in  the  '70's,  and  he  left  a  large  fortune  when 
he  died. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1851,  John  Parrot  first  made 
his  appearance  in  San  Francisco.  A  native  of  Balti- 
more, Maryland,  but  having  spent  a  number  of  years 
in  Mexico,  had  married  a  woman  of  that  comitry.  He 
brought  with  him  about  $200,000,  most  of  which  he 
had  acquired  in  Mexico.  He  invested  in  real  estate 
in  San  Francisco,  and  also  established  a  bank  in  1856, 
or  thereabouts.  Fortune  seemed  to  favor  him  for 
many  years,  and  he  died  lea\'ing  an  estate  worth 
$6,000,000  or  $7,000,000. 

When  I  landed  in  San  Francisco,  Michael  Rees,  a 


64  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

native  of  Germany,  was  prominent.  He  began  life 
in  Richmond,  Virginia  as  a  peddler.  Upon  his  arrival 
in  California  he  became  a  money  lender  and  dealer  in 
real  estate.  His  penuriousness  was  proverbial,  even 
after  he  had  become  a  millionaire.  In  this  he  differed 
from  the  regular  Calif ornian.  He  led  the  life  of  a  miser, 
watching  every  dime — for  there  was  nothing  less  in 
circulation — he  became  one  of  the  rich  men  of  the 
state.  Living  in  cheap  rooms,  denying  himself  all 
the  comforts  which  wealth  should  give,  his  only  relaxa- 
tion seemed  to  be  a  fondness  for  the  game  of  poker. 
This  he  would  play  for  high  stakes  and  was  usually 
successful. 

Toward  the  close  of  his  life  he  indulged  in  the  luxury 
of  a  horse  and  buggy,  and  used  to  take  a  ride  out  to 
the  Cliff  House  every  afternoon.  At  first  he  would 
invite  some  friend  to  accompany  him.  This  meant 
that  his  friend  should  pay  for  the  drinks,  the  toll  and 
the  hostler  for  the  sake  of  the  ride. 

Pretty  soon  this  became  so  apparent  that  no  one 
would  ride  with  him.  At  the  Turf  House  every  after- 
noon they  used  to  put  out  a  lunch  of  doughnuts.  It 
was  not  a  long  time  before  Michael  located  the  doughnuts, 
but,  to  the  innkeeper's  disgust  the  old  gentleman  would 
turn  up  every  afternoon  just  in  time  to  empty  the  whole 
plate.  The  proprietor,  believing  he  was  a  most  unprofit- 
able customer,  conceived  the  idea  of  preparing  a 
more  than  usually  seductive  appearing  platter  of  this 
indigestible   article.     He   prepared    a   lot   filled    with 


Killed   Them   All   Without   Lowep.ixg   His   Eifle. — 
Page  76. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  65 

cotton.  Michael  made  his  appearance  as  usual  and 
promptly  fell  upon  the  doughnuts.  It  took  him  several 
minutes  to  "tumble,"  to  use  the  language  of  the  streets, 
but  when  he  did  he  fled,  but,  unlike  the  cat,  "he  never 
came  back." 

In  1859,  when  Adams  &  Company  failed,  A.  A.  Cohen 
was  their  agent  at  Stockton.  By  some  freak  of  fortune 
or  misfortune,  he  was  made  the  receiver  in  bankruptcy 
of  the  concern.  Some  creditors  brought  him  up  into 
court,  and  on  his  refusal  to  answer  questions,  he  was 
remanded  to  jail  for  contempt.  Adams  Co.'s  books 
could  not  be  found;  but  a  short  time  afterward  they 
were  washed  up  from  the  Bay  in  an  old  sack.  But 
the  account  of  the  receiver  had  been  carefully  cut  out. 
Cohen  remained  in  prison  for  about  eleven  months, 
during  which  time  he  read  law  and  got  himself  out  of 
the  clutches  of  the  authorities.  He  was  never  after- 
wards jailed;  for  he  had  mastered  the  art  of  accumu- 
lating money  in  a  legal  way. 

He  owned  the  ferry  from  San  Francisco  to  Oakland 
when  the  Central  Pacific  was  built  and  sold  it  to  that 
company,  he  taking  the  position  of  purchasing  agent  for 
the  C.  P.  This  he  held  a  few  years  when  the  company 
saw  fit  to  replace  him.  He  brough  suit  as  one  of  the 
original  owners  of  the  stock  in  the  company,  intending  to 
show  up  all  the  secrets  of  its  directors  in  connection  with 
the  Contract  and  Finance  Company.  He  conducted 
his  own  case  and  made  it  so  unpleasant  that  Stanford, 


66  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Huntington  and  others  of  the  directors  were  glad 
enough  to  compromise  and  re-enstate  him  in  his  old 
position. 

Cohen  was  a  queer  character.  In  business  grasping 
and  unreliable,  but  still  generous  to  the  last  degree. 
While  in  a  business  matter  he  would  financially  dis- 
embowel you,  yet  he  gave  away  thousands  to  deserving 
charities. 

In  1854  I  saw  the  first  field  of  alfalfa,  the  seed  was 
brought  from  Chili  by  Captain  Pinney  and  planted  a 
few  miles  from  Marysville,  to  whom  belongs  the  credit 
of  having  introduced  this  valuable  grass  into  the  United 
States. 


CHAPTER  V 

Of  the  native  population  of  California  at  that  time 
some  were  outlaws,  many  were  indolent  and  lost 
their  fortunes  and  property  through  contact  with  the 
live,  bustling  American,  but  many  of  these  old,  Mexi- 
can families  retained  and  maintained  their  dignity 
and  individuality,  as  well  as  their  influence  through- 
out the  state  and  entire  West. 

Mexicans  of  the  lower  class  were  the  especial  "bete 
noir"  of  that  early,  rude  society;  and,  to  be  a  Mexican 
of  the  "peon"  class,  was  to  be  an  object  of  suspicion 
on  general  principles. 

The  following  incident,  which  occurred  at  San  Jose, 
will  better  illustrate  this  state  of  affairs  than  any  de- 
scription I  could  offer. 

It  was  in  1850,  when  the  Mexican  laws  were  in  force; 
and  the  stealing  of  an  animal  was  punishable  by  death. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  Moore,  who  afterwards  be- 
came a  noted  criminal  lawyer,  was  "Alcalde."  Before 
him  was  arraigned  a  Mexican,  charged  with  stealing 
a  horse.  ]\loore  listened  to  all  the  evidence  adduced, 
and  after  hearing  the  statement  of  the  Mexican,  ques- 
tioned him  as  follows: 

"Do  you  smoke  cigarettes?" 

"Si,  Senior,"  came  the  reply. 

"Do  you  roll  them,  pouring  the  tobacco  in  your 
hand  so?"  illustrating. 

67 


68  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

"Si  Senior,"  answered  the  prisoner. 

''Do  you  re-roll  the  cigarettes,  bend  them  in  the 
middle,  and  when  smoking  blow  the  smoke  through 
the  nose?"  pursued  the  judge. 

"Si,   Senior,"   again  responded  the  Mexican. 

"Take  the  fellow  out  and  shoot  him.  He  stole  the 
horse,  sure,"  relentlessly  decided  the  judge  in  conclu- 
sion. 

Again,  in  1853,  near  the  old  Central  House  about 
15  miles  from  Marysville,  a  Mexican  was  arrested, 
charged  with  stealing  the  horse  he  was  riding.  The 
complainant  was  a  stranger  and  an  American.  A 
"Judge  Lynch  Court"  was  organized,  a  jury  impan- 
nelled  and  the  Mexican  brought  before  them  for  trial. 

After  hearing  the  evidence  the  jury  adjourned  to 
the  bar,  took  a  drink  to  "brace  up,"  then  repaired  to 
the  shade  of  a  tree  to  deliberate  upon  the  merits  of  the 
question.  A  motion  was  made  to  hang  the  Mexican, 
which  was  carried,  unanimously.  The  jury  then 
started  back,  having  decided  to  render  a  verdict  to 
that  effect,  when  one  of  the  jurymen  said: 

"Boys,  that  horse  ain't  worth  ten  dollars,  and  I 
do  not  think  we  ought  to  hang  a  "greaser"  for  that 
small  sum;  why  not  whip  him^  and  turn  him  loose?" 

"Well,"  said  the  foreman  of  the  jury,  "we  will 
think  about  it,  Sam,  you  go  and  get  a  bottle  of  whiskey 
and  bring  it  out,  and  we  will  go  back  to  the  tree  and 
talk  it  over." 

Sam  got  a  bottle,  forthwith,  after  disposing  of  the 
contents  of  which  the  jury  again  repaired  to  the  tree 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  Califorxia  69 

and  reconsidered  the  case;  this  time  concluding  to 
whip  the  prisoner. 

After  deliberating  at  length,  the  jury  again  was  on 
its  way  to  render  a  verdict,  when  some  one  suggested 
that  the  white  man  was  a  stranger  whom  none  of  them 
knew,  and  that  it  was  only  his  word  against  that  of 
the  Mexican ;  that  a  decent  white  man  would  be  ashamed 
to  own  such  a  horse  as  that,  any  way;  so  once  more 
the  jury  halted. 

Sam  brought  another  bottle  of  whiskey,  after  drink- 
ing which  the  jury  finally  decided  to  render  a  verdict 
of  not  guilty,  which  they  did  in  due  form. 

The  Mexican  never  knew  how  narrowly  he  escaped 
hanging;  nor  did  he  wait  to  learn.  Just  as  soon  as 
released  he  mounted  his  horse,  and,  with  a  kindly, 
if  hasty,  "Adios,  Amigos,"  he  gallantly  rode  away. 

There  have  been  so  many  lives  lost  through  the 
drinking  of  whiskey,  it  gives  me  real  pleasure  to  record 
this  one  exception  to  the  general  rule.  If  it  was  the 
particular  brand  of  whiskey  used,  and  I  knew  what  it 
was,  I  would  give  it  here,  with  pleasure. 

One  of  the  most  formidable  company  of  outlaws 
of  those  times  was  headed  by  a  Mexican  named  Joaquin 
Murietta.  His  band  of  highwaymen  was  carefully 
organized.  Murietta  was  a  bold  and  daring  leader  and 
there  was  a  touch  of  the  romantic  about  his  deeds 
that  was  very  interesting.  For  about  two  years,  the 
whole  state,  from  Yuba  to  Kern  counties,  was  ter- 
rorized by  this  band  of  daring  men.  Almost  daily, 
during  that  time,  the  papers  told  of  Chinamen  found 


70  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

in  the  roads,  murdered  and  tied  together  by  their  pigtails; 
their  throats  cut  from  ear  to  ear,  which  was  recognized 
as  the  worlv  of  "Three-Fingered- Jack,"  a  lieutenant  of 
Murietta's  band. 

Many  and  thrilling  were  the  stories  told  of  Murietta; 
and  vast  rewards  were  offered  for  his  head.  When 
the  first  reward  of  $5,000  was  offered  by  the  govern- 
ment, and  notices  to  that  effect  were  posted  in  the 
town  of  Stockton,  one  day,  a  quiet  Sunday,  in  the 
afternoon  there  came  riding  into  town  a  fine,  pictur- 
esquely dressed  Mexican.  His  six-shooter  by  his  side, 
his  "serape"  thrown  carelessly  over  his  shoulder,  his 
broad,  Spanish  hat  set  jauntily  on  his  head,  and  a 
cigarette  daintily  held  between  his  fingers,  he  might 
have  attracted  the  admiration  of  any  one  possessed 
of  an  eye  for  the  artistically  romantic,  in  any  land. 
This  stranger  was  seen  to  dismount  and  read  the  proc- 
lamation of  reward  for  Murietta's  head.  Then  he  took 
a  pencil  from  his  pocket,  to  write  something  under- 
neath. After  he  had  ridden  away  some  one  went  to 
see  what  the  stranger  had  added  to  the  posted  bill. 
Imagine  the  wonder  and  surprise  when  was  found 
these  words: 
"I  will  give  $10,000  more — Joaquin  Murietta." 
Near  Lancha  Plana,  a  mining  camp  contiguous  to 
Placerville,  a  former  acquaintance  of  Murietta  met  him 
on  the  road  riding.  They  trotted  along,  side  by  side, 
for  an  hour  or  two,  conversing  pleasantly  together 
all  the  while.    Murietta  stated  that  he  wished  to  do 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  71 

this  man  no  harm,  but  that  he  had  some  business  in 
the  country  which  he  wished  at  present  kept  secret; 
at  the  same  time  warning  his  former  acquaintance 
that  if  he  went  into  town  and  made  pubhc  the  fact 
that  Murietta  had  been  seen,  he  would  surely  kill  the 
man  who  told. 

Heeding  not  this  timely  warning  of  the  Bandit 
Chief  the  man  disclosed  all  that  he  had  learned. 

Next  day,  while  a  posse  was  scouring  the  adjacent 
mountains  in  search  of  the  noted  outlaw,  Murietta 
dashed  into  town,  and,  seeing  the  man  who  had  be- 
trayed him,  sitting  in  front  of  a  store,  rode  up  and 
suddenly  shot  him  to  death  and  then  dashed  away, 

Murietta  had  the  sympathy  of  all  the  Mexicans 
in  the  state ;  for  they  ever  felt  aggrieved  at  the  invasion 
of  the  Americans,  who,  they  thought,  had  robbed  them 
of  their  birthright.  This  made  the  capture  of  the 
outlaw  and  his  gang  very  difficult.  Posses  were  many 
times  organized  against  him,  always  ineffectually. 
One  of  these  he  destroyed,  falling  upon  them  at  night, 
when  they  were  forced  into  pitched  battle,  and  Murietta 
killed  them  all. 

Murietta  was  finally  captured  by  Harry  Love,  in 
1854,  who,  suddenly  coming  upon  their  camp  in  Kern 
County,  killed  both  Murietta  and  ''Three-Fingered- 
Jack."  The  head  of  the  Bandit  Chief  and  the  hand  of 
"Three-Fingered- Jack,"  were  preserved  in  spirits  and 
taken  to  the  capitol  for  identification.  These  grue- 
some objects  were  afterwards  put  on  exhibition,  and 
I  once  had  a  look  at  them. 


72  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Next  of  note  among  the  "robber  barons"  was  Tom 
Bell.  Bell  had  been  educated  for  a  physician,  but 
changing  his  tastes  he  gathered  around  him  as  reckless 
a  band  of  cut-throats  as  ever  could  be  found  in  any 
country,  and  succeeded  in  keeping  California  in  a  state 
of  perfect  terror  from  1855  to  1857. 

During  the  summer  of  1856  Tom  Bell  and  his  party 
made  an  attack  upon  the  Camptonville  stage  as  it 
was  approaching  Marysville.  Besides  the  passengers, 
the  stage  contained  about  $200,000  in  gold  dust.  There 
were  about  twenty-one  of  the  robbers  armed  with 
shotguns,  loaded  with  gooseshot. 

The  stage  was  driving  leisurely  along,  near  Stam^ 
field's  Ranch,  when,  suddenl}'-  Bell's  band  appeared. 
Bell  ordered  the  driver  to  stop;  declaring  he  would 
shoot  any  man  who  attempted  to  draw  a  gun.  Bill 
Grear  was  the  driver  and  by  him  sat  Dobson,  an  express 
rider,  a  nervy  little  fellow,  who  did  not  wait  to  hear 
more.  He  drew  his  gun,  fired  and  shot  Bell  through 
the  body.  Firing  again,  his  next  shot  took  effect 
through  Bill  Gristy's  body;  one  of  Bell's  lieutenants. 
It  struck  him  in  the  arm.  Dobson  continued  until 
he  had  fired  nine  times,  and  it  is  said,  he  wounded  a 
robber  at  every  shot. 

The  outlaws,  of  course,  fired  a  volley  into  the  stage, 
a  negro  woman  was  killed,  while  the  driver  was  badly 
wounded.  In  the  meantime  the  passengers  crawled 
out,  got  their  six-shooters  to  work  and  put  the  robber 
band  to  flight. 

Bell  did  not  die  of  the  wound  received  at  this  time, 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  73 

but  was  packed  across  the  country  by  his  comrades, 
and  in  a  few  months  was  as  well  as  ever. 

Bell  was  captured  in  1857.  His  captors  gave  him 
a  half  hour  in  which  to  write  letters.  They  then  hanged 
him  to  a  cottonwood  tree  near  by. 

Quite  a  reputation  was  established  by  Jim  Webster, 
as  a  highwayman,  about  this  time.  He  was  said  to 
have    been    a    member    of    Bell's    gang 

In  1854  he  was  working  on  Sand  Hat,  which  is  now 
known  as  Timbuctoo,  Yuba  County,  Cal.  He  had 
two  friends  working  a  mining  claim  near  him,  and 
they,  hearing  that  a  party  intended  next  morning 
to  attempt  to  drive  them  off  their  claim,  asked  Webster 
to  assist  in  defending  themselves,  knowing  Webster 
was  a  dead  shot. 

Sure  enough,  at  sunrise  the  next  morning  six  men 
appeared  and  ordered  them  off  the  claim.  They 
refused  to  go.  The  fight  began.  Webster  killed  three 
of  the  assailing  party,  the  other  two  escaped.  Webster 
and  his  friends  escaped  uninjured. 

Webster  was  arrested  and  brought  to  Marysville 
on  a  charge  of  manslaughter.  He  lay  in  jail  about 
six  months  before  he  was  set  free.  During  this  time 
he  learned  to  read  and  write. 

In  1856  in  company  with  two  others  he  was  arrested 
for  highway  robbery.  The  principal  witness  against 
him  was  a  man  named  McCoy.  In  Marysville  the  case 
was  tried  before  Judge  Bliss.  While  McCoy  was  giving 
his  evidence,  which  was  very  conclusive,  Webster 
rose  from  his  seat  and  said: 


74  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

''You  scoundrel!"  and  then  with  dehberation  and  as 
if  he  meant  it  he  said,  "If  I  had  a  gun  I  would  kill  you." 

A  sentence  of  ten  years  was  passed  upon  him  by 
the  judge. 

''You  might  as  well  make  it  twenty-five  years, 
Judge,"  said  Webster,  turning  to  the  bench  with  a 
sardonic  smile,  "for  I  never  will  stay  in  San  Quentin 
for  ten  years." 

"Very  well,"  said  the  judge,  "if  you  will  stand  up 
again,  I  will  make  it  twenty-five  years,  as  you  request. 
Politeness  is  one  of  my  strong  points." 

Webster  did  so,  and  obtained  from  the  judge  his 
request.  He  remained  in  San  Quentin  about  six 
months.  Escaping,  he  went  to  his  old  haunts  about 
twenty-five  miles  above  Marysville 

Visiting  several  mining  camps,  he  took  whatever 
provisions  and  ammunition  he  desired,  leaving  a  note 
to  the  miners  apologizing  for  the  theft,  saying,  he 
needed  both  more  than  they  did. 

After  a  few  weeks  he  left  this  part  of  the  country 
and  Jesse  0.  Goodwin,  who  defended  him  in  the  criminal 
trial,  told  me  Webster  went  up  into  Shasta  County, 
after  that. 

While  mining  there,  Webster  quarrelled  with  his 
partner,  telling  him  he  would  kill  him  on  sight.  They 
lived  in  separate  cabins.  Webster's  partner  had  a 
double  barrelled  shotgun,  which  was  kept  loaded  in 
his  cabin.  Webster  visited  the  cabin  during  the  ab- 
sence of  the  owner,  and  drew  the  loads  from  the  gun; 
leaving  the  caps  in.     Webster's  partner  discovered  the 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  75 

trick.  He  reloaded  the  gun  with  buckshot.  Webster 
visited  the  cabin,  drew  his  pistol  when  his  partner 
seized  his  gun.  Webster,  thinking  the  gun  unloaded, 
waited  for  the  first  overt  act.  His  partner  fired  both 
barrels,  literally  blowing  off  Webster's  head.  Thus 
cutting  short  the  life  of  one  of  the  most  daring  outlaws 
the  state  of  California  has  ever  known. 

"Rattlesnake  Dick,"  a  Canadian,  whose  real  name 
was  never  known,  terrorized  Placer,  Nevada,  and  other 
counties  during  the  years  of  1856-58.  A  more  desperate 
outlaw  never  appeared  in  the  West. 

Joaquin  Murietta  ran  the  gauntlet  of  a  posse  lining 
the  road  by  which  he  rode  his  horse  at  full  speed,  a 
dozen  men  firing  at  him.  And  Tom  Bell  dismounted 
at  the  Cottage  House — a  road  house  north  of  Sacra- 
mento— and  after  inviting  the  crowd  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  men  to  join  him  in  a  drink,  drew  his  revolver, 
saying  : 

"  I  am  Tom  Bell,  for  whom  there  is  a  reward  of  $5,000. 
Does  any  man  want  it?"  Then  coolly  remounting 
his  horse  he  rode  away. 

But  Dick,  singly  and  alone,  fought  five  men,  all 
shooting  at  him,  he  returning  their  fire  with  two  pistols; 
and  escaped  with  only  a  slight  wound.  Subsequently, 
Dick  had  added  a  long  chapter  to  his  list  of  crimes 
and  murders  and  robberies.  He  and  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Shelby,  in  a  fight  with  a  posse  in  Placer  County, 
under  Sheriff  Bullock,  killed  Martin  and  wounded 
Johnstone,  of  the  posse,  and  then  escaped. 

Shelby  was  badly  wounded,  in  this  fight;  and  at 


76  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

his  solicitation,  Dick  killed  him;  put  him  to  death  to 
put  him  out  of  his  misery.  Dick  was  subsequently 
apprehended  in  Nevada  County,  and  hung,  which 
was,  I  think,  the  first  judicial  hanging  of  any  noted 
outlaw  in  the  state. 

While  there  were  outlaws  in  those  days,  there  were 
also  man  hunters;  men  of  nerve  and  daring,  to  uphold 
the  law  and  punish  crime.  One  of  whom  claims  especial 
notice  here. 

Steve  Vennard  was  express  rider  for  Wells,  Fargo  & 
Co.,  and  was  once  suddenly  confronted  by  three  high- 
waymen, who  demanded  the  express  box  he  carried. 
After  receiving  it  the  robbers  ordered  the  driver  to  go 
on.  Vennard  returned  to  the  spot,  within  two  hours, 
and  took  the  robbers'  trail.  Suddenly  the  highway- 
men arose  from  behind  a  log  and  opened  fire,  Vennard 
brought  his  Winchester  into  action  and  killed  them 
all  without  lowering  his  rifle  from  his  shoulder.  For 
this  he  was  generously  rewarded  by  his  employers. 

For  many  years  Vennard  hunted  outlaws  and  never 
failed  to  kill  them  or  land  them  into  prison.  He  still 
lives,  or  so  I  am  informed,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty  years. 

During  the  decade  from  1860  to  1870,  Virginia  City, 
Pioche  and  other  points  in  the  state  of  Nevada  wit- 
nessed many  violent  deaths  from  professional  killers; 
all  of  which  now  belongs  to  the  past.  For  now  all 
the  western  states  and  territories  are  as  free  from 
crime  as  any  of  the  older  commonwealths. 

In  1860,  La  Porte,  in  Plumas  County  was  a  resort 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  77 

for  hard  characters;  chief  among  whom  was  Jim  Ivy, 
an  escaped  convict  and  noted  burglar;  and  known 
there  as  "Jim  Barton."  Associated  with  him  was 
Brown  and  Coffee,  both  criminals. 

At  that  time  I  had  a  store  at  Jamison  City,  about 
thirty-five  miles  away.  One  evening  I  came  in  to 
La  Porte,  and,  going  to  a  hotel,  I  gave  my  holsters, 
containing  150  ounces  of  gold  dust,  to  the  landlord  to 
put  in  his  safe.  As  I  did  so  a  man  known  as  "Long 
Bar  Joe"  inquired  if  I  were  going  to  Marysville  the 
next  day. 

I  told  him  I  was  not. 

He  said  "I  am  sorry;  for  I  was  going  down  and 
wanted  company." 

I  went  out  after  this  and  returned  about  ten  o'clock. 
Joe  was  still  waiting.  I  made  an  excuse  that  I  was 
going  back  home  early  next  morning,  and  had  just 
remembered  another  errand  that  I  had  not  attended 
to,  and  went  out  again.  I  returned  again  about  eleven 
o'clock  only  to  find  Joe  still  there,  waiting. 

I  told  Bernard,  the  landlord,  I  was  ready  for  bed 
and  he  showed  me  to  my  room.  I  inquired  of  Bernard 
when  he  closed  his  house  for  the  night;  and  he  said 
at  twelve  o'clock.  I  told  him  that  I  was  going  to 
leave  at  twelve  thirty,  and  would  call  at  his  room 
and  wanted  him  to  take  my  holsters  from  his  safe 
at  that  time,  and  give  them  to  me  without  striking 
a  light.  I  charged  him  to  say  nothing,  for  I  was  going 
to  start  to  Marysville  and  did  not  care  to  have  it  known. 

At  one  o'clock  a.  m.  I  left  La  Porte  and  reached  the 


78  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Woodville  House,  twenty  miles  away,  about  dawn  and 
retired  about  two  p.  m.  ;  while  taking  breakfast,  Spangler, 
the  landlord;  informed  me  that  Barton,  Brown  and  Cof- 
fee had  passed  there  about  three  hours  before ;  and  that 
the  horse  that  Barton  rode  had  cast  a  shoe  from  his  left 
hind  foot.  I  was  mounted  on  a  mule,  and  left  for  the 
Twenty-One-Mile  House  immediately.  I  easily  tracked 
Barton  by  the  shoeless  foot  for  about  ten  miles,  when 
much  to  my  relief,  I  saw  that  the  party  had  turned  off 
the  road  to  Forbestown;  apparently  following  a  mule- 
track,  which  confirmed  my  suspicions  that  they  were 
after  me. 

I  retired  soon  after  reaching  the  Twenty-One-Mile 
House,  and  told  Martin,  the  proprietor,  to  wake  me 
at  four  o'clock  a.  m.;  as  I  wished  to  leave  at  four-thirty 
for  Marysville,  transact  my  business,  and  return  the 
same  night.  At  four  in  the  morning  I  was  aroused, 
Martin  said: 

"Tom,  you  had  better  stay  here  to-day." 

I  replied  that  I  could  not  do  so. 

When  I  had  dressed  and  gone  into  the  bar-room, 
Martin  again  urged  me  to  remain  and  again  I  declined. 

"All  right,"  said  he,  "your  mule  is  at  the  door." 

As  I  mounted  the  mule  Martin  said: 

"Take  that  pistol  from  your  holsters  and  put  it 
where  you  can  handle  it  in  a  moment." 

I  took  the  pistol  and  shoved  it  down  between  my 
pants  and  shirt  in  the  waist-band,  and  said: 

"How  does  that  suit  you?" 

"That  is  better,"  said  Martin. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  79 

"Now/'  said  I,  turning  to  him,  "Martin,  what  does 
all  this  mean?" 

"Well,"  said  he,  "you  look  out,  as  you  pass  Abbott 
Hill,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  here." 

I  mounted  and  rode  slowly  until  I  got  to  the  top 
of  the  hill  then,  looking  down,  about  one  hundred 
yards,  I  saw  three  horses  picketed  and  on  closer  inspec- 
tion I  saw  three  men  with  their  heads  pillowed  on  their 
saddles,  and  their  feet  stretched  toward  a  smouldering 
fire.  I  drew  my  pistol,  intending,  if  they  waked  up, 
to  open  fire,  believing  that  I  could  knock  down  one 
or  two  of  them  before  they  were  fully  awake,  and  so 
make  my  escape.  It  was  now  daybreak.  The  road 
was  wide.  The  men  were  camped  to  the  right  of  the 
road  about  fifty  feet;  and  I,  riding  very  slowly,  took 
the  extreme  left.  When  I  had  passed  the  men  some 
two  hundred  yards,  I  quickened  my  pace.  I  do  not 
think  that  mule  ever  traveled  so  fast  as  then,  either 
before  or  afterwards. 

About  two  hours  later  these  men  robbed  a'  teamster, 
of  $600  for  which  they  were  all  three  arrested,  tried 
and  sent  to  San  Quentin,  for  a  number  of  years. 

When  I  came  to  Arizona,  in  1879,  Barton,  or  Ivy 
had  enjoyed  about  twenty  Christmas  dinners  in  that 
institution. 

I  have  had  many  narrow  escapes  in  life  but  this  one 
I  consider  the  closest  call  I  ever  had. 


CHAPTER  VI 

The  proverbial  pranks  of  college  boys  are  tame  com- 
pared to  those  that  were  indulged  in  by  the  early 
miners  of  the  state  of  California,  i^lmost  entirely 
without  the  restraint  or  influences  of  woman,  the  home, 
the  fireside  and  the  family  circle ;  with  plenty  of  money 
and  little  care  for  the  future;  the  gaming  tables  and 
unrestricted  saloons  ever  enticing  them  away  from 
the  better  life,  it  is  httle  wonder  that  some  lives  were 
wrecked;  that  some  in  the  full  flower  oi"  manhood  and 
usefulness  should  have  gone  astray. 

And  there  were  others  upon  whom  this  life  of  hard- 
ship and  adventure  seemed  to  have  the  opposite  effect; 
those  whose  inclination  for  the  good,  developed  and 
strengthened  by  the  very  surroundings;  and  whose 
characters  were  rounded  out  so  full  and  firm  that  they 
left  their  lasting  mark  and  imprint,  not  only  upon  the 
history  of  the  state,  which  they  helped  to  mold,  but 
upon  the  whole  nation  at  large. 

These  "Argonauts"  were  not  only  pioneers  in  a 
new  and  undeveloped  country,  but,  in  all  the  lines  of 
human  thought  and  mental  activity,  left  a  well-marked 
trail,  a  credit  to  them  and  posterity. 

In  no  other  country,  perhaps,  was  business  ever 
transacted  with  less  observance  of  business  rules. 
The  merchant  of  San  Francisco  gave  credit  to  the  mer- 

80 


■^•■S>.'*'iJ'*'i'«''- '*•>.■■-' 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  81 

chant  of  the  interior  towns.     They,  in  turn,  supplying 
the  traders  of  the  mining  camps  beyond. 

Banks  loaned  money,  almost  exclusively,  on  per- 
sonal security  and  upon  open  account.  The  losses 
resulting  were  insignificant;  for  a  man's  word  was  his 
bond  in  those  good  old  days.  However  hard  and 
grasping  a  man  might  be,  he  was  forgiven,  but  if  he  did 
not  live  up  to  his  verbal  agreements,  his  path  was  in- 
deed a  thorny  one.  Every  man's  hand  has  raised 
against  him. 

Quick  to  resent  a  real  or  fancied  insult,  too  often 
the  knife  and  the  six-shooter  were  called  into  play. 

Justice  winked  at  the  taking  of  human  life,  but  was 
intolerant  of  the  burglar  and  the  petty  thief. 

Up  to  1852  coin  was  seldom  seen  in  the  mining  camps. 
Gold  dust  was  the  only  money;  valued,  usually,  at 
$16  per  ounce.  Drinks  were  sold  over  the  bar  at  a 
pinch  of  dust — which  was  measured  by  the  bar-keeper 
thrusting  his  fingers  into  the  miner's  sack  and  extract- 
ing therefrom  what  he  could  hold  between  his  thumb 
and  forefinger,  for  each  drink.  The  larger  the  thumb 
and  forefinger  the  better  bar-tender  a  man  was  con- 
sidered to  be.     This  custom  prevailed  up  to  1854. 

On  the  mantelpiece  of  almost  every  cabin  was  found 
an  oyster  can.  This  the  miner  used  to  store  his  daily 
earnings  in.  Each  day  he  poured  into  the  can  what 
gold  dust  he  had  washed  out  that  day,  never  taking 
the  trouble  to  conceal  its  hiding  place.  Strange  as 
it  may  seem,  each  morning  he  went  to  his  work,  leaving 
the  precious  dust  already  earned  thus  exposed  in  the 


82  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

rude  cabin  where  he  Hved,  and  not  a  can  was  ever 
stolen.     In  mining  camps  it  meant  death  to  steal. 

Practical  jokes  of  all  kinds,  such  as  only  men  with 
money,  independent  and  eager  for  any  kind  of  amuse- 
ment to  break  the  dull  monotony  of  daily  toil,  could 
devise  or  invent  were  of  every  day  occurrence  in 
every  mining  camp.  In  Marysville,  in  1855,  there  was 
a  merchant  named  Crosby.  An  innocent,  simple  man, 
afraid  of  his  own  shadow,  and  decidedly  out  of  sym- 
pathy with  his  environments. 

One  evening  Len  Taylor,  to  make  a  little  fun,  invited 
this  man  to  take  a  little  walk  in  the  outskirts  of  the 
town.  Previously  posted  behind  a  fence  for  the  pur- 
pose, were  Grant  Israel  and  another  man  who  com- 
menced shooting  at  our  friends  with  blank  cartridges. 
Taylor  fell,  as  if  shot,  and  shouted: 

"Git,  Crosby,  git  for  your  life." 

Away  poor  Crosby  ran  down  the  road,  crying  ''mur- 
der" at  every  jump;  rushed  into  the  residence  of 
Colonel  Ransome,  declaring  that  his  friend  Taylor  was 
killed  and  he  himself  mortally  womided.  With  this 
the  poor,  frightened  fellow  threw  himself,  sprawling 
on  the  floor,  seeming  really  to  be  seriously  hurt. 

A  doctor  was  summoned,  who,  after  a  thorough  ex- 
amination, recommended  a  bath  and  a  change  of 
clothing. 

About  this  time  was  established,  at  Downieville,  the 
ancient  and  honorable  order  of  "E  Clampsus  Vitus." 
The  initiation  fee  of  which  was  made  always  to  suit 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  83 

the  pecuniary  circumstances  of  the  proposed  initiate; 
and  usually  expended  in  paying  for  beer. 

Lawyers,  bankers,  merchants  and  miners  were  mem- 
bers of  this  institution.  And  when  the  gewgaw,  a 
big  horn,  rang  out,  for  miles  around  miners  came,  stores 
and  banks  and  places  of  business  were  quickly  closed 
and  all  their  managers  soon  repaired  to  the  "Clampus 
Hall."  The  sounding  of  the  gewgaw  meant  that  a 
"sucker"  had  been  caught  and  there  were  fim  and 
beer  ahead. 

The  candidate  was  prepared  for  the  initiation  by 
being  divested  of  most  of  his  clothing,  then  blind- 
folded. In  this  condition  he  was  led  around  the  hall, 
stopping  at  different  points  where  he  was  catechised 
and  lectured  in  a  most  fatherly  way,  by  the  different 
officers  of  the  bod5^  About  the  time  he  became  worked 
up  to  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  a  strap  with  a 
ring  attached,  having  been  silently  placed  about  his 
body,  he  would  find  himself  suddenly  lifted  to  the 
ceiling  and  then  as  suddenly  dropped  into  a  wheel- 
barrow, purposely  prepared  for  his  reception,  in  which 
had  been  placed  large  sponges  saturated  with  ice  water. 
The  victim  would  be  held  thus  securely  in  place  while 
the  wheel-barrow  was  run  around  for  a  hundred  feet 
or  more  over  a  rough  construction  of  round  poles, 
jolting  the  wheel-barrow  and  keeping  the  victim  bob- 
bing up  and  down  in  a  most  ridiculous  manner,  on 
his  ice-cold  cushions.  During  this  performance  the 
members  and  spectators  sang  the  while: 


84  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

"Ain't  you  mighty  glad  to  get  out  of  the  wilderness — 
Get  out  of  the  wilderness, 
Get  out  of  the  wilderness?" 
Etc. 

Sometimes  these  initiation  ceremonies  extended  over 
several  hours.  And  by  the  time  they  got  through 
with  him  the  new  member  would  feel  certain  that  he 
had  paid  well  for  the  entertainment  of  his  friends; 
while  he,  himself,  had  added  to  his  store  of  useful 
knowledge  and  experience. 

Invariably  the  new  member  would  steal  out  of  town, 
humiliated  and  crestfallen,  to  appear  again  only  when 
he  could  produce  some  new  candidate  or  victim  for 
admission  to  the  order. 

Again,  at  Oroville,  Butte  County,  in  1857,  there  were 
gathered  a  company  of  young  men,  educated,  bril- 
liant, generous  and  optimistic — types  of  Californians 
of  the  early  times.  The  hotel  was  kept  by  a  man 
named  Montgomery.  Turkeys  were  scarce  and  high- 
priced,  worth  from  six  to  twelve  dollars  apiece.  Thanks- 
giving day  was  approaching,  and  Montgomery  needed 
more  turkeys  than  he  had.  He  had  five  secured,  but 
they  were  not  enough.  In  order  to  fully  supply  his 
guests  he  would  require  several  turkeys  more  for  the 
Thanksgiving  feast.  One  evening  while  the  "boys" 
were  at  the  hotel  a  man  appeared  with  three  turkeys, 
saying  they  were  intended  as  a  present  to  Dr.  Burlin- 
game,  one  of  the  party.  Montgomery  at  once  saw 
his  opportunity  and  opened  negotiations  for  the  pur- 
chase of  the  birds.    He  finally  affected  a  trade,  without 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  85 

much  trouble,  paying  for  them  with  a  generous  basket 
of  champagne,  which  was  imbibed  and  enjoyed  by  all 
the  ''boys"  present. 

Next  morning,  when  Montgomery  came  to  investi- 
gate his  supply  of  Thanksgiving  turkeys  he  found  only 
the  original  number  of  five.  The  man  had  bought 
three  of  his  own  turkeys. 

''Well,"  said  the  good-natured  host,  when  he  learned 
of  the  joke  that  had  been  played  on  him,  "boys,  it 
was  a  good  one  on  me;  and  to  show  you  that  I  bear 
no  malice,  I  will  have  a  separate  table  prepared  for 
you  on  Thanksgiving  day,  and  you  shall  have  one 
of  the  turkeys  served  up  for  your  special  delecta- 
tion. 

The  day  came.  The  parties  were  all  on  hand,  ready 
for  the  promised  treat.  The  huge  turkey  was  roasted 
to  a  turn.  But  the  dressing!  It  certainly  had  a  flavor 
peculiar  to  itself.  Not  sage,  oysters  or  chestnuts  was 
mingled  in  it.  None  of  these  could  have  produced 
that  unpleasant  compound.  It  was  something  alto- 
gether new  and  unheard  of  in  the  way  of  stuffing  for 
a  turkey.  The  turkey  was  eaten  with  a  relish  but  all 
passed  the  dressing  by,  with  compliments  to  the  "  chef." 
They  all  agreed  that  he  had  given  it  too  rich  a  French 
flavor  for  such  Plebean  tastes  to  fully  appreciate  and 
enjoy. 

Afterwards,  these  men,  who  had  fared  so  sumptuously, 
learned  that  the  peculiar  dressing  of  that  turkey  was 
nothing  less  than  the  gatherings  from  the  horses' 
stalls.     As  rough  as  this  joke  may  seem,  all  received 


86  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

it  in  good  part  and  voted  the  landlord  a  prince  of  good 
fellows. 

The  author  of  ''The  Virginian,"  has  woven  into  his 
story  "The  mixing  of  the  babies."  The  incident  actu- 
ally occurred. 

At  Gibsonville,  in  1857,  at  which  time  there  were 
few  women  to  be  found  in  any  mining  camp.  Gibson- 
ville was  the  center  of  many  mining  camps,  from  15 
to  20  miles  around.  Girls  of  fifteen  were  all  married 
and  some  were  mothers  at  that  early  age. 

A  "Fourth  of  July  Ball"  was  given,  and  by  exten- 
sive advertising  and  arranging  some  fifty  ladies  were 
present  at  the  party.  They  came  on  mule  back  from 
"Rabbit  Creek,"  "Nelson  Point,"  "Whiskey  Dig- 
gings," "Brandy  City,"  "St.  Louis,"  "Port  Wine" 
and  other  noted  places  of  the  surrounding  country; 
many  of  them  bringing  their  babies  along,  for  whose 
accommodation  there  had  been  secured  and  prepared 
a  room  at  the  principal  hotel  of  the  town. 

As  there  were  several  hundred  miners  present,  and 
only  this  limited  number  of  ladies,  as  might  be  expected, 
many  of  the  men  were  left  without  partners  and  were 
thus  cheated  out  of  dancing.  Being  sorely  disap- 
pointed, when  they  had  anticipated  such  a  good  time, 
some  of  them  devised  a  plan  to  get  even. 

It  was  decided  that  these  disappointed  ones  should 
repair  to  the  hotel  where  slept  the  innocents,  invade 
their  quarters  and  so  exchange  their  places  and  mix 
the  babies  in  such  a  manner  that  no  mother  in  her 
hurry  after  the  ball  would  be  able  to  get  the  infant 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  87 

that  belonged  to  her.  This  they  did.  The  wraps 
alone  were  left  in  the  same  places,  so  that  the  general 
appearance  was  about  the  same  as  when  the  mothers 
left  the  babies  there. .  The  festivities  ended,  the  mothers 
rushed  in  to  get  their  babes,  and  hurriedly  started 
for  their  homes.  Each  grabbed  up  a  child  from  the 
place  where  she  had  put  hers  do^\^l,  and  hastened, 
unsuspecting,  away. 

Imagine,  if  you  can,  the  surprise  and  consternation 
of  each  mother,  when  upon  reaching  home  she  discovered 
the  mistake  she  had  made.  Here  was  a  hearty,  black- 
eyed  boy  where  should  have  been  a  dainty  blue-eyed 
girl,  and  vice  versa,  in  another  place. 

There  was  a  hurrying  and  a  scurrying  all  over  that 
section  for  many  days  before  each  infant  found  the 
home  where  it  belonged. 

No  one  was  sacred  enough  to  escape  the  attacks  of 
these  practical  jokers  and  pranks  of  good-natured  fun. 
Such  pastimes  together  with  original  modes  of  entertain- 
ment furnished  the  only  amusements  of  the  old  time 
Californians. 

LITERARY   MEN   JOKERS 

In  the  old  A^irginia  City  days  Mark  Twain  w^as  a 
conspicuous  figure.  Fond  of  listening  to  a  yarn, 
fond  of  telling  one,  always  good  natured,  with  not  a 
care  in  his  life,  a  general  favorite  among  the  boys, 
his  presence  was  always  sought  whenever  there  gathered 
a  jovial  crowd.  Mark  was  also  recognized  as  a  most 
skillful   and   successful   practical  joker.    Miile   there 


88  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

was  never  the  shadow  of  maUce  in  his  jokes,  any  more 
than  there  was  in  those  of  the  older  Sothern,  or  Billy 
Florence,  still  his  manner  had  the  effect  of  arousing 
in  his  victims  a  desire  to  "get  even,"  As  a  conse- 
quence the  following  plan  was  laid  by  a  number  of 
them  to  perpetuate  a  joke  on  the  unsuspecting  Mark 
one   time. 

It  was  known  that  Mark  expected,  on  a  certain 
morning,  to  go  by  stage  to  San  Francisco.  The  boys 
entered  into  an  agreement  and  understanding  with 
the  driver  and  express  rider,  whereby  the  boys  were 
to  personate  highwaymen  and  "hold  up"  the  stage 
at  a  certain  point  on  the  road.  They  knew  that  Mark 
was  the  only  passenger  for  that  day. 

On  Geiger  Grade,  about  five  miles  from  Virginia 
City,  from  behind  a  heavy  ledge  there  suddenly  rushed 
a  dozen  seemingly  ferocious  outlaws.  So  well  had 
the  affair  been  prepared  and  rehearsed,  that  Mark 
Twain  was  completely  deluded.  He  thought  he  saw 
and  understood  the  situation  perfectly. 

The  horses  were  securely  held  by  some  of  the  acting 
bandits,  while  the  driver  was  completely  stricken 
with  seeming  paralysis,  and  the  express  rider  jumped 
from  the  seat  and  hid  behind  a  rock.  The  noted 
humorist  being  left  thus  quite  alone  in  the  deserted 
stage,  scrambled  out  of  the  door,  only  to  be  firmly 
clutched  by  the  arm  before  he  had  time  to  offer  any 
resistance   whatever. 

The  pseudo-robbers  took  from  Mark  his  watch, 
scarf-pin,  overcoat  and  every  cent  of  money  he  had; 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  89 

turned  his  face  toward  Virginia  City  and  said  in  the 
most  approved  style  of  stage-robber  vernacular- 

"Git,  and  git  quick." 

Advice  which  Mark  took  with  alacrity  and  thank- 
fulness; and  "got"  as  fast  as  he  could  back  to  Vir- 
ginia City,  a  distance  of  five  miles,  being  almost  frozen 
by  the  time  he  reached  there,  as  the  weather  was  very 
cold. 

Of  course  he  was  not  long  left  in  ignorance  of  the 
joke  that  had  been  played  at  his  serious  expense, 
and  accepted  it  as  gracefully  as  became  his  station, 
and  felt  wiser,  no  doubt,  than  when  held  up  by  the 
New  York  cabman  in  1901. 

Mark  Twain  is  too  well  known  to  need  much  of  an 
account  at  my  hands,  still,  it  might  be  interesting  to 
relate  some  of  the  incidents  with  which  he  was  iden- 
tified in  those  early  times  of  which  I  write. 

Accompanying  the  Beecher  party  on  their  visit  to 
the  Sandwich  Islands,  during  the  seventies,  Mark 
Twain  was  the  traveling  correspondent  for  the  Alta 
Californian,  as  well  as  of  some  eastern  papers.  Upon 
his  return  he  made  his  first  appearance  upon  the  lecture 
platform  at  Piatt's  Hall,  San  Francisco,  taking  the 
Sandwich  Islands  as  his  theme. 

The  posters  announcing  this  lecture  read: 

"The  doors  will  open  at  seven  o'clock  and  the  trouble 
will  begin  at  half-past  seven." 

The  hall  was  densely  packed.  So  crowded  that  the 
last  man  in  had  to  leave  his  cane  on  the  outside. 

The    lecture    was    replete    with    quaint    expressions 


90  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

and  humorous  allusions,  delivered  in  that  halting 
voice  and  inimitable  manner  which,  in  Mr.  Clemens,  is 
so  perfectly  irresistible,  and  which  kept  the  audience 
in  a  roar  of  laughter  during  the  whole  time. 

This  was  the  first  of  Mark  Twain's  many  triumphs. 
For  thirty  years  he  has  delighted  the  English-speak- 
ing world  with  the  originality  and  versatility  of  his 
genius.  California  claims  this  brilliant  son  by  right 
of  discovery.  He  is  greatly  appreciated  in  Berlin  and 
Vienna  for  his  wit  in  German,  he  being  a  master  of 
the  language. 

Every  old  Calif ornian  will  remember  Lieutenant 
Derby,  more  familiarly  known  as  "John  Phoenix," 
the  author  of  the  "Squibob  Papers/'  and  of  'Thoenix- 
iana." 

He  was  an  army  officer,  and  one  of  the  greatest 
humorists  of  his  day.  A  pioneer  in  that  particular 
field  of  literature  which  Mark  Twain  has  since  so  fully 
explored.  Derby  was  a  familiar  figure  on  the  streets 
of  San  Francisco  in  1852.  I  have  seen  him  often, 
but  as  I  was  quite  young  at  the  time,  can  give  but  a 
poor  description  of  his  personal  appearance.  He 
was  tall  and  spare,  with  the  military  air  of  the  trained 
soldier.  Two  or  three  times  a  week  Derby  contributed 
humorous  sketches  to  the  San  Frisco  Herald,  under 
the  ''nom  de  plume"  of  "Squibob,"  or  "John  Phoenix." 
The  Herald  was  then  the  leading  daily  paper  of  the 
city. 

Derby  was  not  only  a  humorist,  but  also  a  practical 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  91 

joker.  His  good-natured  tricks  were  played  upon  all 
alike. 

Once  he  invited  Mr.  Grisar,  who  was  the  Belgian 
Consul  in  California  at  that  time,  to  visit  with  him 
the  Masonic  Lodge.  Grisar  was  not  very  familiar 
with  the  English  language,  and  could  only  with  diffi- 
culty make  himself  understood. 

As  a  joke,  but  seemingly  very  serious,  when  the 
two  gentlemen  were  seated  in  the  room,  Derby  re- 
fused to  vouch  for  Grisar,  who  was,  of  course,  con- 
sequently put  through  a  most  rigid  examination. 

At  another  time,  Derby  invited  a  friend  to  visit 
him  at  the  Barracks  in  Benicia.  On  arising  the  next 
morning  the  friend  missed  his  boots,  but  found  in 
their  place  a  pair  of  army  shoes.  Derby  did  not  ap- 
pear upon  the  scene  until  several  hours  later,  but 
when  he  did  he  was  wearing  the  boots;  the  friend  in 
the  meantime  having  put  on  the  shoes. 

Derby  looked  at  the  shoes  quizzically,  then  quietly 
remarked : 

"I  see  you  have  appropriated  my  shoes,  you  may 
keep  them,  for  I  found  these  boots  this  morning,  which 
come  in  good  time,  for  a  poor  army  officer  with  a 
family  can  ill  afford  to  buy  boots  at  $25  a  pair." 

He  kept  the  boots  just  as  if  he  believed  them  to 
have  been  intended  for  him. 

Derby  belonged  to  the  engineers'  corps  of  the  army; 
and  after  the  election  of  Pierce  to  the  presidency, 
in   1852.   when  Gen.   Scott  carried  only  four  states 


92  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Derby  had  occasion  to  send  to  Washington  some  maps 
which  were  necessary.  The  corners  of  these  maps 
were  adorned  with  the  most  kidicrous  decorations. 
In  one  corner,  for  instance,  there  appeared  the  Demo- 
cratic rooster  crowing  from  the  top  of  a  flag-pole, 
while  the  Whig  coon  was  hanging  head  downward, 
dead,  beyond  the  hope  resurrection. 

In  another  corner  was  General  Scott,  taking  a  hasty 
plate  of  soup,  the  plate  uplifted  to  his  mouth  and  the 
contents  pouring  over  his  clothes.  Still  another  cor- 
ner was  adorned  with  a  picture  of  Pierce,  thrown  from 
his  horse  in  one  of  the  battles  of  Mexico,  and  many 
other  such,  all  well  executed  and  illustrating  some 
incident  in  the  recent  campaign. 

In  1853  Derby  was  stationed  at  San  Diego.  A 
man  by  the  name  of  Ames  owned  and  edited  the  San 
Diego  Herald,  a  Democratic  paper,  and  John  Bigler 
was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  governor,  while 
William  Waldo  was  the  Whig  candidate  for  the  same 
office  during  the  same  campaign. 

Ames,  the  editor,  was  called  away  to  San  Francisco, 
and  before  leaving  secured  the  services  of  Derby,  the 
joker,  to  manager  the  Herald  during  his  absence. 

In  the  first  issue  of  the  paper  after  Ames'  departure, 
Derby  changed  the  politics,  as  well  as  the  names  of 
the  gubernatorial  candidates.  He  printed  the  Whig 
ticket  headed  by  "William  Baldo,"  and  underneath 
it  was  the  Democratic  ticket  with  "John  Wigler"  at 
its  head,  up-side-down.    In  a  jocular  way  he  praised 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  93 

Mr.  "Baldo"  and  the  Whig  party,  advising  his  readers 
to  beware  of  "John  Wigler,"  the  presumed  Democratic 
candidate,  as  a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing,  whose  election 
would  be  most  disastrous  to  the  state. 

In  the  next  issue  of  the  Herald  he  said  that  the 
sudden  change  in  the  politics  of  the  paper  had  sub- 
jected him  to  so  much  harsh  criticism  he  had  decided 
to  make  it  a  neutral  paper, 

"You  Whigs,"  he  said,  "who  desire  the  election  of 
'William  Baldo'  will  find  editorials  in  his  behalf  on  the 
second  page  of  this  paper,  and  you  Democrats  will 
find  editorials  in  support  of  'John  Wigler'  on  the  first 
page." 

Ames  did  not  long  remain  in  San  Francisco;  he 
hurried  home,  but  did  not  arrive  until  Derby  had 
issued  a  third  edition  of  the  paper.  And  in  this  one 
he  declared  that  there  was  neither  money  nor  fame  in 
a  political  paper,  so  he  would  make  this  number  an 
illustrated  pictorial. 

One  of  the  "pictorials'^  was  "A  bird's-eye  view  of 
San  Diego,"  which  was  a  snipe  in  a  marshy  ground. 
"The  San  Diego  gas  works"  was  a  jug  of  whiskey. 
The  steamer  "GoUath,"  which  ran  between  San  Fran- 
cisco and  San  Diego,  was  represented  by  a  turtle  turned 
back  downward.  A  portrait  of  Prince  Albert,  "said 
to  be  the  father  of  many  of  Queen  Victoria's  children," 
was  illustrated  by  the  head  of  a  bull.  And  so  on  until 
the  paper  was  filled  with  comical  representations  of 
different  subjects  equally  as  absurdly  pictured.    While 


94  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

the  editorial  comments  were  humorous  in  the  extreme. 

The  paper,  thus  ilkistrated,  sold  in  San  Francisco 
for  one  dollar  per  copy. 

About  that  time  Jefferson  Davis,  then  Secretary  of 
War,  requested  the  officers  of  the  engineering  corps 
to  offer  suggestions  as  to  the  re-armament  and  uniform- 
ing of  the  army.  Derby  responded  by  recommending 
the  following: 

That  all  the  infantry  should  have  a  ring  securely 
attached  to  the  seat  of  each  pair  of  trousers,  and  that 
the  officers  should  be  provided  with  long  poles  with 
hooks  on  the  end;  so  that  when  a  soldier  attempted 
to  run  the  officers  would  only  have  to  insert  the  hook 
in  the  ring  and  wheel  the  man  immediately  back  into 
line.  With  the  army  thus  equipped,  he  gravely  argued, 
the  officers  could  always  prevent  a  panic  in  the  lines, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  officers  would  be  afforded, 
to  some  extent,  a  protection,  as  their  places  would  then 
be  behind  the  soldiers. 

Another  of  Derby's  suggestions  for  the  army  was, 
that  as  heavy  ordnance  was  of  little  value,  what  was 
really  needed  was  light,  rapidly-firing  cannon.  He 
thought  a  good  plan  would  be  to  have  them  so  made 
that  two  could  be  packed  on  a  coimnon  donkey;  one 
on  his  back  with  the  mouth  of  the  cannon  pointing 
between  his  ears,  the  other  underneath  with  the  mouth 
pointing  between  his  hind  legs.  The  gim  thus  ar- 
ranged, the  one  on  the  back  of  the  jackass  being  fired 
first  would,  by  the  concussion  when  discharged,  lift 
the  animal  in  the  air  and  throw  him  on  his  back;  in 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  95 

this  position  the  other  gun  would  be  ready  to  do  its 
work,  by  which  explosion  the  donkey  would  be  thrown 
again  to  his  feet,  when  the  men  could  reload  the  guns 
and  thus  go  on,  indefinitely,  firing  the  double  action 
arrangement  as  long  as  the  engagement  might  last. 

He  made  other  equally  amusing  suggestions,  many 
about  the  cavalry  which  I  do  not  recall.  All  were 
comically  illustrated  by  elaborate  and  ludicrous  draw- 
ings, and  forwarded  to  the  department  at  Washington. 
Copies  of  these,  with  the  accompanying  communica- 
tions to  the  Secretary  of  War,  were  on  exhibition  in 
the  office  of  Dr.  Hitchcock,  in  San  Francisco,  for  an 
extended  time;  and  were  fully  enjoyed  and  appreciated 
by  the  jolly,  fun-loving  citizens  of  that  city  at  least. 

It  was  said  that  when  Davis  received  Derby's  com- 
munication wth  recommendations  and  illustrations 
he  was  incensed  and  indignant  at  what  he  considered 
an  attempt  to  ridicule  a  superior  officer,  and  ordered 
that  Derby  be  court-martialed  for  the  offense.  For- 
tunately, WilUam  L,  Marcy,  Secretary  of  State  at 
that  time,  happened  in  the  office,  when  Davis  produced 
the  letter  and  pictures  for  examination,  at  the  same 
time  remarking: 

"I  have  ordered  the  man  court-martialed  for  this 
presumption." 

Marcy  carefully  scrutinized  the  papers,  laughed 
most  heartily,  and  said  in  reply: 

"Jeff,  don't  do  it.  That  fellow  is  a  genius.  If  he  is 
court-martialed  for  this,  and  these  cartoons  and  letter 
are  reproduced  in  all  the  newspapers  of  this  country 


96  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

and  England — as  would  surely  be  the  case — this  ad- 
ministration will  be  made  the  laughing-stock  of  the 
civilized  world." 

Marcy's  judgment  prevailed  and  Derby  was  left 
without  molestation. 

In  1854,  or  1855,  Derby  went  East  and  became 
contributor  to  the  old  "Knickerbocker  Magazine." 
Afterward  he  became  insane,  and  died  in  an  asylum, 
while  still  a  young  man. 

Derby  was  of  a  quiet,  sedate  manner  and  of  sober 
countenance,  possessed  of  a  keen  and  ready  wit  ac- 
companied with  an  inexhaustable  fund  of  humor  that 
made  him  the  life  of  every  gathering. 

He  shared  to  some  extent  the  prejudice  of  the 
trained  soldier  against  the  militia.  It  is  said  of  him 
that  at  a  dinner  in  San  Francisco  he  once  gave  this  toast: 

"Here  is  to  our  citizen  soldiery!  Invincible  in  peace, 
invisible  in  war." 

His  practical  jokes  partook  of  nothing  unkind,  but  were 
rather  the  effervescence  of  a  nature  simply  bubbling 
over  with  fun  and  merriment.  His  early  death  was  sin- 
cerely regreted  by  all  Cahfornians,  who  felt  a  natural 
and  excusable  pride  in  him  as  the  first  noted  wit  and 
humorist  of  the  Golden  State. 

Had  not  his  life  been  cut  short  there  is  little  doubt 
that  the  name  of  "John  Phoenix"  would  have  ranked 
high  in  the  world  of  humorous  literature,  and  the 
name  of  Lieutenant  Derby  been  immortalized. 

Bret  Harte  was  a  Californian.  Amid  the  surround- 
ings of  the  Golden  State  his  genius  was  developed, 


Senator  David  C.  Broderick. — Page  108. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  97 

aiiv.  ^>  short  stories  and  poems  he  has  given  living 

picture  f  the  Ufe  in  the  mining  camps  of  those  times — 
times  w/i  i  g  Id  was  plenty,  and  those  who  dug  it  out 
were  careless  as  to  how  they  spent  it.  His  characters 
are  real.  His  men  and  women,  even  to  the  "Heathen 
Chinee,  child-iike  and  bland,"  are  recognized  as  a  part 
and  parcel  of  the  civilization  he  describes. 

Bret  Harte  began  his  literary  career  as  a  contributer 
to  the  Golden  "^ra,  in  1854,  a  weekly  literary  paper  pub- 
lished in  San  Francisco.  I  have  been  told  that  he  enjoyed 
the  friendship  of  Mrs.  Fremont,  who  secured  for  him 
a  position  in  0  custom  house,  which  enabled  him  to 
give  his  odd  ^urs  to  literary  pursuits.  His  prose  and 
poetry  of  Ca  Jornia  life,  so  rich  in  humor  and  yet  so 
deeply  path(  'c  are  certainly  the  finished  work  of  a 
true  artist. 

It  is  only  \,iien  he  attempts  to  paint  life  elsewhere 
that  his  writings  are  dull.  His  "Luck  of  Roaring 
Camp,"  his  "Heathen  Chinee"  and  "Truthful  James" 
would,  even  had  he  never  written  any  other  thing, 
have  proven  sufficient  to  entitle  him  to  a  choice  place 
among  the  artists  of  the  last  century. 

Sam  Davis,  of  Virginia  City,  is  noted  for  his  fun 
making.  He  edits  the  Enterprise  of  Virginia  City, 
and  has  a  local  reputation  as  a  humorist. 

Sam  is  also  a  practical  joker.  About  thirty  years 
ago,  Sam,  being  in  San  Francisco  was  employed  by 
the  Chronicle  to  report  a  race  between  "American 
Girl"  and  "Goldsmith's  Maid,"  which  was  to  take 
place  at  San  Jose.     He  did  it  in  this  wise. 


98  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Sam  went  down  to  the  place  of  the  races  and  his  first 
dispatch  to  the  paper  gave  an  account  of  the  gathering 
of  the  crowd;  the  second  a  description  of  the  horses, 
and  their  appearance  on  the  track.  The  third  dispatch 
an  account  of  a  fearful  earthquake,  in  which  one  hun- 
dred houses  of  San  Jose  were  leveled  to  the  ground  and 
five  hundred  fives  lost. 

The  Chronicle  issued  an  extra.  San  Franciscans, 
having  friends  in  San  Jose,  literally  burned  the  wires 
up  in  frantic  efforts  to  ascertain  if  those  dear  to  them 
were  safe;  after  which  he  reported  the  race. 

When  he  handed  in  his  bill  for  this  article  to  the 
Chronicle  it  read: 

Reporting  races  at  San  Jose $25 .  00 

Sensation 75 .  00 


Total,  $100.00 

This  account,  I  suppose,  was  paid. 

Bayard  Taylor  published  in  1852,  his  travels  through 
California. 

J.  Ross  Brown  was  a  resident  of  the  state  for  several 
years  before  the  Civil  War,  and  printed  many  sketches 
in  Harper's  Magazine,  illustrating  life  on  the  Pacific 
Coast. 

"Artemus  Ward"  visited  San  Francisco  in  1862,  and 
delivered  there  his  famous  lecture,  "The  Babes  in  the 
Woods." 

While  there  "Artemus  Ward"  received  a  dispatch 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  99 

from  an  eastern  manager,  relative  to  that  lecture, 
that  read  Hke  this: 

"What  will  you  take  for  one  hundred  nights?" 

The  answer  was  sent  back: 

"Brandy  and  water." 

One  of  the  best  Muenchausen  humorists  I  ever  knew, 
was  a  miner  by  the  name  of  George  Slocum.  In  1864, 
while  I  was  superintendent  of  the  "Plumas  Eureka" 
mine,  I  met  him  in  Jamison  City.  Slocum  was  fol- 
lowed by  his  cat  and  informed  me  that  he  had  sold 
his  claim,  his  cabin  and  other  effects,  preparatory 
to  trying  his  luck  in  other  fields,  and  that  he  wanted 
to  sell  his  cat. 

"It  is  the  wisest  animal  you  ever  saw,"  said  he. 
"Why,  during  the  big  storm  last  winter,  you  remember 
it,  and  that  it  lasted  three  weeks,  snowing  all  the  time? 
Well,  my  cat  was  my  only  companion  during  all  that 
time.  Almost  every  day  I  noticed  it  would  try  to 
look  up  the  chimney,  mewing  like  a  sick  babe  the  while. 
After  the  storm  was  over  I  went  up  on  the  roof,  and 
looking  down  the  chinmey  I  saw  three  strings  of  chip- 
monks  and  mice,  which  this  cat  had  caught  the  previous 
summer  and  put  away  there  for  winter  use." 

I  did  not  buy  the  cat,  for  I  was  afraid  that  such  an 
intelligent  animal  might  supplant  me  as  superintendent 
of  the  mine  and  I  would  be  out  of  a  job;  but  I  gave 
George  employment  and  he  kept  the  boys  always  in 
a  good  humor  by  his  terse  and  ever-ready  wit. 

Whenever  any  one  told  a  "yarn"  that  George  dis- 
believed, he  would  instantly  proceed  to  tell  one  so 


100         The  Gold  Hunters  of  Califoknia 

absurdly  ridiculous  that  the  first  narrator  would  be  put 
to  ^slianie. 

l^pon  one  occasion  one  of  the  boys  related  this 
story : 

"You  know  how  thick  the  geeae  are  in  San  Joaquin 
Valley?"  iiuiuired  the  speaker,  "and  how  they  eat  out 
the  growing  wheat?  Well,  there  lived  on  the  San 
Joaquin  river  a  Dutchman  whose  name  was  Chris 
Dudenscheimer,  and  Chris  used  to  wag(^  war  on  these 
geese.  A  brother  from  the  'Old  Country'  joined  liim, 
who  had  never  fired  a  gun,  but  was  eager  to  kill  some 
geese.  One  day,  in  the  early  fall,  a  large  (lock  of  these 
birds  alighted  across  the  river  not  far  fi'oiii  where  the 
brothers  were  at  work, 

"'Now  is  your  chance  for  a  shot,  Fred,'  said  Chris. 
'Go  to  the  house  and  load  the  goosegun,  and  you  can 
bring  down  a  good  lot.  You  will  never  have  a  better 
chance.' 

"'How  must  I  load  it?'  inquired  tlic  inexperienced 
Fred. 

"'Oh,  just  put  in  about  two  drams  of  powder  and 
one  dram  of  shot,'  instructcul  ('hris. 

"Away  Fred  went  and  soon  returned  with  the  gun  all 
loaded  for  geese. 

'"Take  a  rest  by  that  tree  and  \v.i  them  have  both 
barrels,'  encouraged  Chris,  who  wished  to  see  his 
brother  make  a  wonderful  first  shot. 

"Fred  got  ready  and  fired.  Then  tuijied  a  double 
summersault    about    twenty    yards    backward    before 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         101 

he  could  sfo]),  while  the  gun  was  thrown  far  over  his 
shoulder. 

'"Dot  vas  awfuls!'  exclaimed  the  poor  fellow,  pull- 
ing himself  together  the  best  he  could. 

'"Why,  how  on  earth  did  you  load  that  gun?'  asked 
the  astonished  Chris. 

"'Vy,  joost  like  you  tolt  me.  1  put  in  two  drams 
of  powder  and  von  of  lead.  Dot  iss  all,  I  measured 
them  in  the  dram-glass  dot  ve  use  efery  day  for  our 
drinks,'  was  the  indignant  explanation. 

"Besides  nearly  killing  Fred,"  went  on  the  story- 
teller, "that  shot  killed  twenty-seven  geese." 

This  was  enough  for  Slocum. 

"Better  luck  than  I  had,"  said  he.  "Last  winter  I 
fired  into  a  flock  of  more  than  a  million  as  they  flew 
over  my  cabin.  I  got  three  bushels  of  wings  and  legs, 
and  could  not  see  the  sun  for  three  days  on  account  of 
feathers  floating  in  the  air,  but  never  killed  a  goose." 

On  another  evening  a  sailor  had  just^  finished  telling 
a  fabuKnis  story  of  how  he  had  been  shii)-wrecke(l. 
(Jeorge  tSlocum  had  one  equally  as  im})robable  which 
he  lost  no  time  in  relating. 

"I  was  once  ship-wrecked,  myself,"  said  he,  "off 
the  const  of  Patagonia.  For  nine  days  I  floated  astride 
a.  barn^l  of  pork,  with  nothing  to  eat  but  a  bar  of 
soap." 

And  so  was  his  ever  ready  wit  and  store  of  fun. 

I  have  often  thought  that  if  he  had  possessed  an 
education  deorge  Slocum  might  have  out-ranked 
Baron  Muenchausen  himself  as  a  romancer  of  this  kind. 


102  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Norwegian  snow-shoes  furnished  another  source  of 
vast  amusement  and  pastime  to  the  Californians 
through  the  snow  belt  of  the  state,  in  those  early  days. 

These  shoes  were  first  introduced  in  the  country  by 
a  man  named  Thompson  in  the  year  1859,  and  soon 
came  into  general  use  in  the  mountainous  districts. 
An  expert  traveler  on  them  could,  if  the  snow  were 
in  a  favorable  condition  traverse  as  great  a  distance 
as  he  could  over  the  same  country  on  mule-back. 

The  traveling  shoe  was  about  six  feet  long;  the 
racing  shoe  about  twelve;  both  made  from  pine  boards 
four  or  five  inches  wide.  These  boards  were  grooved 
down  the  center,  and  curved  at  one  end,  something 
like  a  sleigh-runner.  In  the  center,  measuring  from 
end  to  end,  was  fastened  a  leather  strap  to  fit  over  the 
foot,  below  which  was  nailed  a  strip  which  fitted  in 
front  of  the  heel.  A  long  pole  with  a  button  on  the 
end  was  used  in  guiding  the  progress  of  the  traveler 
in  climbing  hills,  also  as  a  brake  in  descending  them. 

A  favorite  sport  with  the  wearers  used  to  be  snow- 
shoe-racing  on  Sundays.  Pilot  Peak  which  overlooked 
Onion  Valley  in  Plumas  County,  California,  furnished 
a  favorite  track  for  these  races.  The  slope  doTVTi  the 
mountain-side  was  a  mile  and  a  quarter  long,  and 
very  steep.  So  steep,  in  fact,  as  to  cause  a  sensation 
like  that  produced  by  falling.  So  expert  did  some 
of  these  snow-shoe  racers  become,  that  I  have  known 
them  to  cover  this  distance  of  one  and  a  quarter  miles  in 
thirty-nine  seconds. 

None  of  the  jokes  or  pastimes  of  these  early  miners 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         103 

ever  partook  of  ill-feeling  or  unkindness.  They  were 
always  generous  and  humane  in  their  dealings  with 
one  another.  Always  ready  to  extend  a  helping  hand 
to  worthy  or  unfortunate  brothers.  Thus  ennobling 
themselves  and  uplifting  others. 


CHAPTER  VII 

It  is  not  a  part  of  these  reminiscences  to  deal  with 
poUtics,  but  a  few  incidents  introducing  people  more 
or  less  connected  with  the  career  of  the  early  gold 
diggers  of  California  may  be  of  interest  to  the  general 
reader. 

In  another  part  of  this  book  it  has  been  noted  that 
California  became  a  state  of  the  Union  in  1850.  The 
first  legislature  of  the  state  was  held  at  the  town  of 
Benicia. 

John  C.  Fremont  and  William  H.  Gwinn  were  elected 
to  the  United  States  Senate.  Fremont  was  from  Mis- 
souri, a  son-in-law  of  Senator  Thomas  H.  Benton  of 
Missouri. 

Gwinn  was  born  in  Tennessee.  His  father  was  a 
great  friend  of  General  Jackson.  Gwinn  came  to 
California  from  Mississippi,  where  he  had  held  numerous 
political  offices.  Through  appointment  by  General 
Jackson,  Gwinn,  at  one  time  held  the  post  of  United 
States  Marshal  for  the  state  of  Mississippi. 

The  first  congressman  to  represent  California  was  a 
Mr.  Wright,  an  avowed  friend  and  partner  of  J.  C. 
Palmer,  mentioned  before  in  these  sketches  as  head 
of  the  house  of  Palmer,  Cooke  &  Co.,  bankers. 

A  quarrel  between  Palmer  and  Gwinn  over  this  man 
Wright  caused  a  division  in  the  Democratic  party. 

104 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  105 

One  wing  was  led  by  David  C.  Broderick,  a  sworn 
friend  of  Palmer,  Cooke  &  Co. 

Broderick  was,  by  trade,  a  stone  cutter,  but  had 
always  taken  interest  and  part  in  the  political  issues 
of  his  day,  and  at  one  time  served  as  Congressional 
Representative  of  New  York  City,  His  first  appearance 
in  politics  in  California  was  as  state  senator. 

Broderick  was  a  fine  organizer.  He  was  a  man  of 
Puritanic  morals,  never  used  intoxicating  liquors  or 
tobacco,  indulged  in  no  kind  of  dissipation  or  gaming, 
yet  most  strange  to  relate,  he  held  the  "boy  element" 
of  San  Francisco  under  remarkable  control  in  all 
political  matters. 

With  the  financial  strength  of  Palmer,  Cooke  &  Co., 
behind  him,  he  became  a  potent  and  prominent  candi- 
date for  the  senate,  as  opposed  to  Gwinn.  Broderick's 
friends  and  supporters  in  this  campaign  were  known  as 
** Short  Hairs,"  (a  term  applied  to  the  "boy"  or  saloon 
element)  composed  largely  of  Democrats  from  the 
eastern  states.  While  Gwinn's  followers  were  known 
as  "Long  Hairs"  or  "Chivs,"  hailing  mostly  from  the 
southern  states. 

The  war  between  these  two  candidates  was  bitter 
and  unrelenting,  assuming  as  it  progressed  national 
proportions  and  lasting  for  many  years. 

In  1855  the  "Knownothing  Party"  elected  their 
state  ticket,  making  J.  Neely  Johnson  governor  of  the 
state. 

Upon  the  failure  of  the  banks  in  1855,  James  King- 
of-William,  who  was  cashier  of  the  banking  house  of 


106         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Adams  &  Co.,  lost  his  job,  and  starting  a  sensational 
paper  which  he  called  the  "Evening  Bulletin,''  devoted 
it,  as  he  said,  entirely  to  the  reformation  of  the  politi- 
cal municipality. 

His  assaults  were  most  virulent  upon  almost  all 
those  holding  public  positions  at  the  time  and  more 
particularly  upon  Broderick,  the  "Dick  Crocker"  of 
the  state. 

James  J.  Casey  then  held  the  position  of  deputy 
sheriff  in  San  Francisco.  King  published  what  he 
said  was  Casey's  record  in  New  York,  showing  that 
he  had  been  indicted  for  felony  in  that  state  and  was  a 
fugitive  from  justice. 

This  was  in  1856. 

For  this  attack  Casey  challenged  King  to  a  duel. 

Duelling  at  that  day  and  time  was  very  common 
between  rival  politicians,  and  was  the  usual  way  of 
settling  difficulties. 

King  declined  the  challenge,  but  said  through  his 
paper,  that  he  was  always  prepared  to  defend  himself. 
A  day  or  two  afterwards  Casey  met  him  on  the  street 
and  shot  him  to  death. 

This  occurrence  immediately  aroused  the  same  spirit 
which,  in  1851,  caused  to  be  organized  the  old  "Vigi- 
lance Committee,"  which  cleansed  the  city  of  thieves 
and  assassins  at  that  time. 

Quietly  and  orderly  the  old  "Vigilance  Committee" 
was  revived  and  re-organized,  merchants  and  business 
men  taking  the  lead.  Its  influence  was  not  long  in 
being  felt.     The  San  Francisco  Herald,  a  paper  which 


) 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         107 

opposed  them  was  denuded  of  its  advertising,  which 
forced  the  paper  into  bankruptcy.  And  the  Alta  CaU- 
fornia  which  favored  them  flourished  more  than  ever 
with  the  addition  of  the  advertising  which  had  been 
transferred  to  its  columns. 

The  Evening  Bulletin,  the  paper  of  the  murdered 
King,  was  made  the  especial  organ  of  the  Vigilantes. 

Casey  and  Cory  who  were  on  trial  for  murder  were 
hanged  by  the  Vigilantes.  Boothe  and  Hetherington 
soon  followed  in  their  trail.  A  reign  of  terror  thus 
begun  among  the  Broderick  gang. 

Broderick  disappeared  from  the  scene  for  a  time;  it 
was  said  he  went  to  San  Raphael.  At  all  events  he 
concealed  himself  until  the  storm  had  spent  its  fury. 
Some  fifteen  of  his  lieutenants  were  expatriated. 

"Yankee  Sullivan,"  a  prize  fighter  and  one  of  "de 
push,"  was  found  dead  in  one  of  the  cells  of  the  Vigil- 
antes; some  said  he  had  committee  suicide,  others 
that  he  had  been  murdered. 

For  fully  two  months  the  Vigilantes  had  more  than 
6,000  men  under  arms,  behind  what  was  called  "Fort 
Gunnybags." 

W.  T.  Coleman  was  president  of  the  organization  and 
Isaac  Bluxome  was  secretary.  Their  officers  were 
sent  through  the  city  armed  with  warrants  of  arrest, 
which  were  signed: 

"By  order  of  the  Committee,  Thirty-three,  Secretary." 

Judge  Terry  was  on  the  Supreme  Bench  of  the  state 
at  the  time,  and  when  the  officers  of  the  committee 
attempted  to  arrest  a  man  by  the  name  of  Nixon  in 


108  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

his  presence  Judge  Terry  drew  his  knife  and  stabbed 
one  of  the  Vigilantes.  Terry  was  himself  arrested 
and  held  a  prisoner  for  this  by  the  committee  for  many 
weeks.  At  one  time  the  situation  looked  so  serious 
for  him  he  came  very  near  being  executed;  better 
counsel  prevailing,  however,  he  was  finally  released. 

General  William  T.  Sherman,  at  that  time  a  re- 
tired army  officer-,  had  been  the  manager  of  the  bank 
of  Lucas,  Turner  &  Co.,  up  to  the  time  of  their  failure 
in  business.  He  was  chosen  commander-in-chief  of 
the  law  and  order  forces,  numbering  only  a  few  hundred. 
This  organization  appealed  to  the  commanding  officer 
of  the  Federal  troops  stationed  at  Benicia,  hoping  to 
procure  from  them  assistance  in  the  establishment  of 
law  and  order.  But  this  appeal  was  refused  on  the 
ground  that  soldiers  of  the  regular  army  could  not 
take  action  except  by  order  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  which  meant  a  delay  of  at  least  two 
months. 

The  Vigilantes  had  their  way  in  all  things.  When 
they  had  accomplished  their  supreme  will  they  or- 
ganized an  independent  party  in  San  Francisco,  known 
as  the  "Law  and  Order  Party."  For  many  years 
thereafter  they  succeeded  in  electing  their  tickets  in 
all  municipal  elections. 

This,  however,  did  not  allay  the  feeling  between 
Broderick  and  Gwinn.  Their  fight  was  still  vigorously 
carried  on,  with  much  bitterness,  throughout  the  state. 

In  1857  Broderick  controlled  the  legislature,  and 
was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  for  the  long 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  109 

term.  In  a  fit  of  generosity  he  secured  the  election  of 
Gwinn  for  the  short  term,  Gwinn  agreeing,  in  writing, 
to  allow  Broderick  all  of  the  Federal  patronage  at- 
taching thereto  for  the  State  of  California. 

This  agreement  was  gotten  possession  of  by  some 
of  Broderick's  enthusiastic  friends  who  had  it  published. 
Gwinn  broke  his  compact  immediately,  and  the  war 
between  the  two  became  more  fierce  than  ever. 

About  this  time  occurred  the  fight  between  the 
Buchanan  administration  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas, 
hinging  upon  the  admission  of  Kansas  into  the  Union 
under  the  LeCompton  constitution. 

Broderick  used  his  efforts  in  the  support  of  Douglas 
in  the  senate,  while  Gwinn  threw  his  influence  with 
the  administration.  This  secured  for  Gwinn  all  the 
Federal  appointments  for  his  friends.  The  "Enghsh 
Compromise,"  prepared  by  representative  English  from 
the  State  of  Indiana,  was  introduced  and  received  the 
endorsement  of  the  Democrats  in  congress  of  both 
North  and  South.  Douglas,  it  w^as  understood,  agree- 
ing to  it  with  the  rest.  But  Broderick,  by  sheer  force 
of  will,  prevented  the  "Little  Giant"  from  accepting 
the  compromise  when  it  reached  the  senate. 

Had  this  compromise  been  accepted  by  the  Democrats 
of  the  North  and  South,  there  would  probably  have  been 
no  division  of  the  party  in  1860.  They  would  surely 
have  elected  their  president,  and  the  Civil  War  would 
most  certainly  have  been  postponed. 

As  has  been  said  before  in  these  pages  duelling  was, 
during    those    times,    very    common.     Broderick   was 


no         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

killed  in  a  duel  with  David  S.  Terry,  in  Marin  County, 
after  his  first  session  in  congress.  The  causes  which 
led  up  to  his  death  as  stated  here  were  received  from 
Dr.  Richard  Porter  Ash,  the  attending  surgeon  of 
both  parties  upon  the  field  of  honor,  and  who  always 
declared  that  Broderick's  friends  murdered  him. 

Broderick,  in  the  heat  of  anger,  had  denounced 
Terry  as  a  corrupt  scoundrel.  Upon  this,  Terry  re- 
signed his  position  upon  the  bench  in  order  to  challenge 
Broderick  to  a  duel.  Terry,  after  offering  the  challenge, 
requested  Mr.  Broderick's  seconds  to  say  to  him  that 
if  he  did  not  intend  his  remarks  to  apply  to  Terry's 
official  position  the  challenge  would  be  withdrawn, 
as  it  was  immaterial  to  him  what  Broderick  thought 
of  him  as  a  private  citizen. 

This,  Dr.  Ash  related,  Broderick  was  inclined  to  do, 
but  was  persuaded  against  his  better  judgment  by  his 
friends  to  accept  the  challenge  at  all  hazards,  they 
believing,  as  he  was  a  sure  shot,  firing  from  the  hip 
he  would  certainly  kill  Terry,  which  would  be  a  good 
thing,  because  in  so  doing  he  would  establish  a  repu- 
tation as  a  man  of  courage  which  would,  in  the  eastern 
states  insure  for  him  the  nomination  for  vice-president 
in  1860. 

It  is  told  upon  the  authority  of  Calhoun  Benham, 
a  second  of  Terry's,  that  when  Broderick  met  Terry's 
eye  upon  the  field  it  seemed  to  unnerve  him  before 
the  fight  began.  Joe  McKibben,  a  second  for  Bro- 
derick, said  that  a  fairer  duel  than  this  was  never 
fought.     He  and  David  D,   Colton  were  Broderick's 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California     -     111 

seconds.  They  secured  choice  of  weapons  but  Terry's 
seconds,  of  course,  had  the  word.  The  gentlemen 
fought  wdth  regular  duelling  pistols.  Benham  told  me 
that  when  he  handed  Terry  his  pistols  he  remarked 
to  him: 

"Judge  Terry,  I  hope  you  wall  be  successful." 

"I  do  not  know,"  replied  Terry,  "Broderick  fires 
quick.     If  he  does  not  kill  me  I  shall  hurt  him." 

The  word  was  given.  Both  pistols  were  discharged 
almost  simultaneously;  Broderick's  perhaps  a  second 
ahead  of  Terry's.  Broderick's  bullet  ploughed  the  ground 
beneath  the  feet  of  Terry.  Had  the  gun  been  leveled 
the  eight  of  an  inch  higher  it  would,  most  probably, 
have  gone  through  Terry's  body. 

With  Terry's  fire  Broderick  reeled  and  fell.  Benham 
approached  Terry,  his  principal,  and  said: 

"Judge,  you  have  killed  him." 

"No,  I  did  not,"  was  the  reply,  "I  did  not  wish  to 
kill  him.  I  aimed  four  or  five  inches  below  the  left 
nipple." 

Broderick,  however,  died  about  ten  days  afterward 
from  the  effects  of  the  wound. 

Thus  ended  a  life  most  conspicuous  in  the  political 
world  of  those  most  feverish,  early  days  of  California, 
not  to  say  of   the  nation. 

Quite  a  number  of  politicians  had  been  killed  in 
duels  before  this  time. 

Turning  from  these  scenes  it  is  gratifying  to  recall 
the  noble  act  of  a  truly  brave  man. 

In  an  episode  in  the  life  of  Charles  S.  Fairfax  we 


112         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

have  an  example  of  an  act  of  nobility  all  must  admire. 

While  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court,  Fairfax  had  an 
altercation  with  Harvey  Lee.  In  this  difficulty  Lee 
drew  a  sword  from  his  cane — a  familiar  weapon  in 
those  days  was  a  sword  cane — and  ran  Fairfax  through 
the  body.  Thus  wounded  Fairfax  drew  and  leveled 
his  derringer  straight  at  Lee's  head;  then,  hesitating 
he  said: 

"You  have  a  wife  and  small  children,  Lee,  so  I 
will  spare  your  life." 

And  again  as  he  fell  into  the  arms  of  his  friends, 
almost  expiring,  he  rallied,  and  pointing  with  his  index 
finger  at  his  antagonist,  he  repeated: 

"Remember,  I  have  spared  your  life,  Lee,  on  account 
of  your  wife  and  children." 

Fairfax  lived  some  ten  years  after  this,  but  finally 
died  from  the  efTects  of  the  wound  received  that  day. 

Fairfax  was  of  noble  blood.  He  was  the  last  lineal 
descendant  of  Lord  Fairfax,  of  England.  Upon  good 
authority  it  has  been  told  of  him  that  he  was  invited 
and  urged  to  return  to  England  and  assume  the  title 
and  restore  the  prestige  of  his  noble  family,  in  "good 
old  England,"  but  he  always  declined,  saying,  that  he 
preferred  to  be  a  free  American  citizen  to  being  a  ham- 
pered English  Lord  or  Duke. 

This  spirit  is  certainly  in  contrast  with  that  of  the 
present  day  in  America,  when  the  average  millionaire, 
not  being  able  to  have  titles  thrust  upon  him  by  birth, 
is  all  too  willing  to  sell  his  daughters,  and  even  his 


^'lii^^^^f 


"You    HAVE    A    WIFE    AND    SMALL    CHILDREN,    LeE,    SO     I 

SPARE  YOUR  LIFE. ' ' — Page  112. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  113 

sons  to  rebuild  the  decayed  nobility  of  England  and 
other    countries. 

The  original  Lord  Fairfax  could  not  have  been  more 
of  a  commoner  than  was  his  California  descendant. 

Charley  Fairfax  was  not  an  orator,  but  a  man  of 
"infinite  jest  and  most  excellent  fancy."  Full  of 
manly  courage,  emotional  as  a  woman,  liberal  to  a 
fault,  the  comrade  of  all  classes,  he  was  popular  through- 
out the  whole  state;  and  always  led  his  ticket  when- 
ever he  appeared  before  the  people  as  a  candidate  for 
their  sulTerage.  He  served  as  speaker  of  the  house 
of  the  state  legislature,  and,  in  1857,  was  nominated 
by  the  Democrats  for  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court;  an 
office  at  that  time  worth  at  least  $50,000  per  annum. 

Major  Powell,  a  noted  political  orator,  opposed 
him  on  the  ''Kjiowno thing"  ticket.  The  Major  was 
well  advanced  in  years,  having  white  hair  and  wearing 
a  long  gray  beard.  Fairfax  accepted  a  challenge  to 
debate  with  the  Major  the  issues  of  the  campaign,  at 
Yreka,  Trinity  County,  on  a  certain  day.  At  the 
appointed  time  Major  Powell,  who,  in  the  meanwhile 
had  died  his  hair  and  whiskers  a  dark  color,  opened 
the  debate  in  a  speech  which  consumed  fully  an  hour, 
at  the  conclusion  of  which  the  large  assemblage  of 
miners  shouted  for  Fairfax,  During  Powell's  speech 
Fairfax  had  been  passing  the  time  at  a  game  of  billiards 
in  a  nearby  hall.  Being  thus  vociferously  called  for, 
he  came  forward,  ascended  the  platform,  then  turned 
and  looked  all  around.     Finally  he  very  critically  sur- 


114         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

veyed  his  opponent  on  the  stand,  for  some  seconds, 
then  turning  to  the  audience  he  said: 
''Ladies  and  Gentlemen: — 

"I  had  expected,  this  evening,  to  meet  my  worthy 
competitor  for  the  office  of  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
Major  Powell,  in  debate  of  the  issues  of  this  campaign; 
but,  as  he  is  not  present  it  would  not  be  fair  or  proper 
for  me  to  address  you  during  his  absence." 

"There  is  Major  Powell  behind  you,"  yelled  the 
crowd. 

Again  turning  to  the  much  be-dyed  Major,  he  said: 

"No,  my  friends,  this  cannot  be  Major  Powell  whom 
I  was  to  meet  here,  and  against  whom  I  am  running 
for  the  same  office.  He  is  a  man  well-advanced  in 
years;  he  has  white  hair  and  a  full  gray  beard,  while 
this  gentleman,  whom  you  would  have  me  believe  is 
Major  Powell  has  a  youthful  appearance,  whose  hair 
and  whiskers  are,  as  you  see,  jet  black." 

And  amidst  the  plaudits  of  his  admirers  Fairfax 
descended  from  the  platform  as  if  everything  were 
settled  for  that  time,  which  ended  the  debate. 

Fairfax  was  elected  by  a  large  majority  in  this  cam- 
paign, and  re-elected  to  the  same  office  in  1859. 

After  the  defeat  of  the  "Knowno thing  party,"  in 
1857,  Henry  A.  Crabb  and  0.  C.  Hall,  both  of  whom 
were  leaders  in  that  party,  went  to  Mexico. 

Crabb,  who  had  a  Mexican  wife,  received  and  ac- 
cepted an  invitation  from  General  Pesquera,  of  Sonora, 
Mexico,  to  aid  him  in  his  fight  with  Gandero,  for  the 
governorship  of  that  state.     Crabb  and  his  followers 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  115 

to  receive  in  return  for  their  services  Mexican  land 
grants,  as  well  as  other  concessions.  For  that  pur- 
pose Crabb  raised  and  equipped  a  force  of  some  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men  in  California  and  started  to  Mexico. 

He  selected  Hall  and  also  Grant  Oury  as  officers. 
Oury  in  later  years,  in  1881  to  1883,  was  delegate  to 
congress  from  the  territory  of  Arizona. 

To  cross  the  borders  of  the  United  States  from  Cali- 
fornia to  Sonora,  Mexico,  then  consumed  several 
months.  During  the  time  and  before  Crabb  and  his 
party  arrived,  the  war  between  Pesquera  and  Gandero 
closed,  leaving  Pesquera,  the  supposed  friend  of  Crabb, 
and  whom  Crabb  was  to  assist  with  his  forces,  in  pos- 
session of  the  office  of  governor  of  the  Mexican  state 
of  Sonora.  Crabb  and  Hall,  in  command  of  the  van- 
guard advanced  and  after  entering  Sonora,  at  the 
town  of  Cavorca,  being  assailed  by  a  large  body  of 
Mexican  troops,  and  relying  upon  the  good  faith  of 
Pesquera,  Crabb  surrendered  his  force  of  seventy- 
five  or  eighty  men,  only  to  have  them  shot  to  death. 
The  news  of  this  dire  disaster  reaching  Oury,  command- 
ing the  rear-guard,  caused  him  to  hastily  retrace  his 
steps  back  to  Arizona,  within  the  borders  of  the  United 
States. 

The  sad  death  of  Crabb  and  Hall  was  deeply  de- 
plored and  regretted  by  Californians,  by  whom  Pes- 
quera was  ever  afterward  held  as  the  embodiment  of 
treachery  and  deceit. 

In  1859  Milton  S.  Latham,  an  administration  Demo- 
crat, was  elected  governor  of  California  by  a  very  large 


116         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

majority,  and  that  winter  Latham  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate.  The  next  year  in  the  presiden- 
tial election  Lincoln  carried  the  state,  leading  Douglas 
by  some  six  hundred  votes,  and  Breckenridge  by  about 
fifteen  hundred  votes.  Political  excitement  was  at 
fever  heat.  There  was  a  large  citizenship  of  southern 
birth  in  the  state,  who  sympathized  with  secession, 
and  another  part,  who,  believing  in  the  right  of  secession, 
saw  in  the  organization  of  the  Confederate  Government 
at  Montgomery,  Alabama,  the  dissolution  of  the  Union, 
and  the  formation  of  four  or  five  independent  govern- 
ments upon  its  ruins. 

After  the  secession  of  the  cotton  states,  public  senti- 
ment in  California  as  elsewhere,  was  against  coercion. 
The  great  mass  of  citizens  believed,  with  General  Scott, 
that  the  best  policy  was  to  "let  the  erring  sisters  go 
in  peace." 

The  San  Francisco  Alta,  the  San  Francisco  Bulletin 
and  the  Sacramento  Union,  at  that  time  the  leading 
papers  of  the  state,  following  the  lead  of  the  New  York 
Tribune,  advocated  peaceable  secession.  There  was 
besides  a  strong  party  in  favor  of  a  Pacific  Republic. 

William  M.  Gwinn,  United  States  senator,  and  leader 
of  the  Breckenridge  wing  of  the  Democracy,  used  all 
his  influence  in  that  direction,  Milton  S.  Latham,  his 
colleague,  was  supposed  to  secretly  favor  the  measure. 
John  G.  Downey,  the  governor,  was  quiescent.  With 
this  end  in  view  there  was  formed  in  San  Francisco, 
with  its  ramifications  through  the  state,  a  "junta" 
or  combination  of  leading  politicians  to  organize  for 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  117 

the  purpose  of  taking  California  out  of  the  Union;  and 
with  Oregon  and  the  western  territories,  forming  a 
Pacific  Republic.  The  first  thing  toward  the  accom- 
plishing of  that  end  was  to  obtain  possession  of  the 
government  arsenal  at  Benicia. 

Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  Colonel  commanding  the 
department,  was  a  Southern  man  whose  sympathies 
were  known  to  be  with  the  South.  General  Twiggs 
had  surrendered  all  government  property  in  his  de- 
partment to  the  seceding  states,  and  it  was  believed 
that  Johnston  would  do  the  same.  In  January,  1861,  a 
committee  waited  upon  him,  asking  that  if  a  display  of 
force  should  be  made  against  him  if  he  would  surrender. 
My  informant  was  a  member  of  the  committee.  John- 
ston's reply  was: 

"Gentlemen,  I  am  a  Southern  man.  When  Lincoln 
is  inaugurated  my  resignation  will  be  in  his  hands  and 
then  my  fortunes  shall  be  cast  with  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy. But  as  long  as  I  am  a  Federal  officer  I  shall 
defend  Federal  property." 

This  ended  all  attempts  to  fortify  the  state  and 
dragoon  California  into  secession. 

Had  Johnston  listened  to  the  importunities  of  his 
Southern  friends,  it  is  difficult  to  tell  what  the  result 
might  have  been.  With  the  military  power  of  the 
state  in  the  hands  of  the  secessionists,  it  is  quite  certain 
that  an  attempt  to  establish  a  Pacific  Repubhc  would 
have  been  made,  with  every  probability  of  success. 
For  those  in  favor  of  the  proposition  would  have  been 
organized  and  well  armed,  while  the  Unionists  would 


118         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

have  been  unorganized,  unarmed  and  isolated  from 
the  government  to  which  they  must  look  for  assistance 
and  relief.  Such  an  attempt  would  have  had  a  most 
demoralizing  effect  upon  the  Union  cause  in  the  northern 
and  central  states.  For  several  years,  at  least,  the 
national  government  would  have  been  deprived  of  the 
gold  of  California  and  the  silver  of  Washoe  Territory — 
now  the  state  of  Nevada,  This  output  of  gold  and 
silver  was  of  very  great  assistance  in  maintaining  the 
credit  of  the  nation  during  the  Civil  War,  and  to  say 
the  least  the  Pacific  coast  was  saved  the  horrors  of 
an  internecine  war,  such  as  was  experienced  in  full 
force  in  Missouri,  east  Tennessee  and  Kentucky. 

Albert  Sidney  Johnston  was  a  secessionist,  sincere 
and  strong,  and  believed  in  the  righteousness  of  the 
Southern  cause,  and  upon  the  bloody  field  of  Shiloh 
yielded  up  his  life  to  maintain  the  belief  most  sacred 
to  him.  Yet,  be  it  said  to  his  honor,  he  yielded  not 
when  temptation  offered,  for  he  was  incapable  of  be- 
traying a  trust,  even  though  it  was  to  benefit  the  cause 
for  which  he  was  willing  to  sacrifice  his  life. 

As  I  remember  him,  he  was  calm,  dignified,  quiet 
and  unostentatious.  A  magnificent  specimen  of  the 
physical  man.  Over  six  feet  in  height,  tall,  erect  and 
soldierly  in  his  bearing,  about  fifty  years  of  age  and 
seeming  altogether  a  man  born  to  conmiand. 

When  Johnston's  resignation  as  commander  of  the 
department  in  California  was  accepted  by  President 
Lincoln,  General  Sumner  was  sent  to  succeed  him. 
With  a  company  of  fifty  men  under  command  of  Alonzo 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  119 

Ridley,  afterwards  a  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  Confed- 
erate army,  Johnston  crossed  through  Arizona  and  New 
Mexico  into  Texas,  espousing  the  cause  he  loved;  and 
was  made,  by  Jefferson  Da\1s,  a  Heutenant-general 
in  the  Confederate  army. 

That  Johnston  understood  the  magnitude  of  the 
impending  struggle  is  well  illustrated  by  this  incident 
which  was  told  me  by  Colonel  Ridley: 

The  command  was  camped  somewhere  in  New  Mexico, 
when  around  the  camp  fire  some  of  the  soldiers  began 
boasting  of  the  valor  and  prowess  of  the  Southern 
chivalry,  saying  that  one  of  them  was  more  than  the 
equal  of  six  Yankees,  Johnston  quietly  interrupted 
with  the  remark: 

"We  are  all  of  the  same  blood.  They  are  our  equals 
as  soldiers.  The  only  chance  we  have  to  whip  them  is 
to  do  so  before  they  have  an  opportunity  to  fully 
organize." 

At  the  outset  of  the  war  very  few  supposed  it  would 
be  one  of  long  duration.  That  General  Grant  did  not 
share  in  this  view  of  the  situation  will  be  shown  by 
the  following  incident: 

After  the  battle  of  Belmont,  Kentucky,  the  Confed- 
erate general,  Buckner,  met  General  Grant  under  a 
flag  of  truce,  and  their  conversation  was  in  part  re- 
ported by  telegraph.  During  the  course  of  their  talk 
Buckner  expressed  the  belief  that  the  North  could 
never  win.    Grant  replied: 

''Well,  I  believe  it  will  be  a  fight  of  Killkenny  cats; 
but  the  North  has  the  longest  tail." 


^ 


120  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

When  Colonel  Johnston  joined  the  Confederate 
army  he  left  a  most  interesting  family  in  California. 
I  knew  them  well,  and  frequently  visited  them.  The 
family  was  composed  of  a  second  wife  and  four  small 
children;  the  eldest,  whose  name  was  Hancock,  named 
for  General  Hancock,  of  national  fame,  being  only 
twelve  years  old. 

Mrs.  Johnston  was  a  very  handsome  brunette,  tall 
and  queenly.  A  fine  amateur  musician  and  highly 
educated.  Perhaps  not  thirty  years  old  yet  grief  and 
anxiety  had  turned  her  prematurely  gray.  In  1864-65 
she  kept  a  private  boarding-house  in  San  Francisco, 
but  soon  after  the  war  she  removed  to  Los  Angeles, 
where  her  son  Hancock,  became  quite  prominent  in 
social  and  business  circles.    She  died  quite  recently. 

Mrs.  Johnston  once  told  me  that  when  her  husband. 
Colonel  Johnston,  resigned  from  the  Federal  army 
he  said  that  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  do  so,  and  to 
defend  the  land  of  his  birth.  Still,  if  she  were  opposed 
he  would  not  go.  She  told  him  to  go  where  he  felt  his 
duty  called. 

When  the  news  of  the  surrender  of  Lee  reached  this 
devoted  wife,  I  was  visiting  at  the  house  of  Todd 
Robertson,  in  San  Francisco,  where  Mrs.  Johnston 
also  was.  The  parlor  was  filled  with  young  people; 
and  as  I  entered  one  of  the  young  ladies  asked  what  I 
thought  of  the  news.  I  replied,  I  thought  it  meant 
the  end  of  the  war  and  the  subjugation  of  the  South. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  121 

That  before  a  week  had  passed  Joe  Johnson  would 
surrender. 

Some  one  suggested  that  Kirby  Smith  might  make 
a  stand  in  Texas.  I  rephed  to  that  by  sajang  that  to 
do  so  would  only  subject  the  state  to  the  pillage  and 
plunder  of  contending  armies  with  no  prospect  of  final 
success;  and  that  if  Smith  refused  to  surrender  he  should 
be  shot  without  mercy. 

The  scene  that  followed  these  remarks  was  one  that 
was  photographed  upon  my  memory,  never  to  be  for- 
gotten. 

Mrs.  Johnston  had  been  sitting  quiet  and  immovable 
as  a  statue  up  to  that  time;  now,  she  arose  from  her 
seat,  her  tall  form  vibrating  with  the  emotion  of  un- 
utterable despair,  tears  streaming  from  her  eyes,  and 
with  the  exclamation: 

"Oh,  God!  that  it  should  have  ended  thus!  And 
what  have  I  not  suffered!  What  have  I  not  endured!" 
She  staggered  from  the  room. 

To  the  patriotic  women  of  the  North,  who  lost  hus- 
bands, lovers,  brothers,  in  that  terrific  strife,  there  was 
the  compensation  that  at  least  the  cause  for  which 
they  fought  was  won,  the  Union  was  preserved,  the 
flag  still  proudly  waved  where  they  had  striven  to 
uphold  it,  over  an  undivided  land;  but  to  the  women 
of  the  Southland,  whose  loved  ones  had  fallen,  whose 
homes  were  desolate,  whose  gardens  were  devastated 
and  whose  fortunes  were  swept  away  in  the  wild  riot 
of  ci\al  war,  no  solace  was  left,  no  comfort  greater  than 
the  wail  of  the  stricken  heart: 


122         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

''Oh,  God!  That  it  should  have  ended  thus!  And 
what  have  I  not  suffered!    What  have  I  not  endured!" 

Nearly  forty  years  have  passed  since  General  Lee 
surrendered. 

The  names  of  Jackson,  Lee,  Johnson  and  Johnston 
are  as  much  a  heritage  of  true  Americans  as  that  of 
Sherman,  Thomas,  Sheridan  and  Grant. 

Sad  as  it  surely  was  for  some  at  that  dread  time, 
now  all  must  rejoice  at  the  termination  as  it  was,  that 
"it  ended  thus." 

To  be  a  citizen  of  this  broad  land,  preserved  unbroken 
as  it  is,  is  a  prouder  distinction  than  to  be  prince  or 
potentate  of  other  land. 

The  animosities  engendered  by  the  war  between 
the  states  have  been  outgrown.  They  are  past 
and  gone. 

Citizens  of  a  loved  and  common  country.  Southron 
and  Northron  alike,  are  moving  forward  to  one  great 
destiny. 

And  regardless  of  section  a  grateful  people  will  ever 
revere  the  memory  of  one  who  kept  faithfully  his  trust, 
though  at  the  sacrifice  of  that  which  he  held  dearer 
than  life  itself,  Albert  Sidney  Johnston. 

Long  live  his  memory  and  great  be  his  honor  in  all 
ages! 

Senator  Gwinn  was  a  strong  character.  During 
the  early  years  of  the  Civil  War  his  time  was  spent  in 
Europe.  He  accompanied  Maxmillian  to  Mexico  and 
was  made  Duke  of  Sonora.  Upon  the  collapse  of 
the  rebellion,  seeing  that  the  Empire  of  Mexico  was 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         123 

doomed,  he  returned  to  California  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  year  1865,  bankrupt  in  fame  and  fortune.  Hitherto 
his  ambition  was  to  hold  public  position;  his  energies 
were  not  employed  in  building  up  his  private  fortune. 
But  now  on  his  return  to  California,  finding  all  the 
doors  to  his  political  advancement  securely  bolted 
and  barred,  in  a  sense  outlawed  by  his  well-known 
sympathy  with  the  Southern  cause,  with  a  meagre 
bank  account  and  a  family  to  support,  it  dawned  upon 
him  that  to  build  up  his  private  fortune  was  the  only 
road  left  him  to  travel. 

Mining  at  that  time  was  at  flood  tide.  He  did  not 
enter  the  lists  as  a  broker  or  speculator  in  mining 
shares,  but  set  himself  earnestly  to  work  to  acquire, 
by  study  and  practical  application,  the  knowledge 
of  petrology,  geology,  mineralogy  and  vein  structure, 
necessary  for  him  to  select  a  prospect  that  gave  assur- 
ance of  being  a  mine.  He  spent  the  winter  of  '65  and 
'66  in  the  counties  of  Calaveras,  Eldorado  and  Amador, 
doing  his  own  cooking,  examining  the  different  mineral 
formations  of  the  producing  mines,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1866,  secured  what  was  afterwards  known  as  the 
Gwinn  mine.  He  developed  the  property  intelligently 
and  systematically,  making  it  one  of  the  greatest 
dividend-paying  gold  properties  of  the  state.  For 
many  years  his  dividends  from  this  mine  ran  from 
twenty-five  thousand  to  thirty  thousand  a  month. 

He  died  in  New  York  some  ten  years  later  from 
pneumonia,  well  advanced  in  years. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

The  firing  on  Fort  Sumter  and  the  call  of  President 
Lincoln  for  75,000  men  to  enforce  the  constitution  and 
the  laws  of  the  United  States  in  the  seceding  states, 
was,  of  course,  approved  by  the  loyalists  of  California 
as  the  only  course  left  for  a  patriot  to  pursue,  and 
condemned  by  Southern  sympathizers  in  the  state 
as  the  despotic  act  of  a  self-constituted  tyrant.  Here, 
as  elsewhere,  there  was  much  division  of  sentiment; 
friends  were  separated  and  brothers  were  divided. 

During  the  year  1861  California  contributed  several 
thousand  men  to  the  Southern  army. 

In  some  localities  the  sentiment  was  strongly  against 
coercion.  Everywhere  there  was  great  excitement. 
Bloodshed  and  mob-violence  were  only  prevented  by 
the  judicious  counsel  of  the  cooler  heads. 

Dr.  Scott,  the  pastor  of  Calvary  Presbyterian  Church 
in  San  Francisco,  was  accused  of  praying  for  the  success 
of  Jeff  Davis.  The  next  Sunday  a  large  crowd  col- 
lected in  front  of  his  church  and  hoisted  the  American 
flag  above  it.  Mrs.  Nelson,  a  Scotch  woman,  and  a 
member  of  his  congregation,  heard  of  this  occurrence 
while  she  was  doing  her  morning  marketing.  Seizing 
a  large  knife  the  good  woman  lost  no  time,  but  rushed 
to  the  church,  quickly  severed  the  pole  that  held  the 
flag,  and  defied  the  crowd  to  replace  it. 

124 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         125 

Mixing  in  the  throng  on  the  street  were  many  armed 
with  pistols  and  knives.  Had  a  fight  once  begun, 
hundreds  of  Hves  would  have  been  sacrificed. 

In  the  election  that  fall  the  state  went  overwhelmingly 
for  the  Union  party. 

Leland  Standford  was  elected  governor  over  John 
R.  McConnell.  The  latter  running  upon  a  platform 
opposed  to  war. 

This  election  fixed  not  only  the  status  of  California 
during  the  contest,  but  of  Oregon  and  all  the  adjacent 
territories. 

That  fall  5,000  men  were  raised  and  sent  through 
Arizona  and  New  Mexico  under  command  of  General 
Carlton.  Shortly  afterwards  another  column  of  5,000 
men,  under  command  of  General  Conner,  was  used  in 
policing  the  state  and  in  holding  in  check  the  disloyal 
element  of  Washoe  and  Utah  territories. 

Military  law,  to  a  great  extent,  superseded  civil  law. 
And  when  a  man  became  too  loud  in  his  demonstra- 
tions in  favor  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  he  was 
arrested  and  sent  to  the  military  prison  at  Alcatraz. 

T.  Starr  King,  pastor  of  the  Unitarian  Church  in 
San  Francisco,  one  of  the  ripest  scholars  of  his  day, 
and  with  few  equals  as  a  pulpit  orator,  contributed 
greatly  to  the  strengthening  of  the  cause,  or  the  Union 
sentiment.  Many  whose  sympathies  were  secretly 
with  the  South,  supported  the  Union  party,  believing 
that  as  they  were  so  far  removed  from  the  active 
theater  of  war,  their  greatest  interest  lay  in  seeing 
order  maintained  at  home. 


126         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

The  mines  of  Virginia  City  along  the  famous  Corn- 
stock  lode  were  being  exploited  then,  and  California 
as  well  as  Washoe  Territory  was  sending  her  treasures 
of  gold  and  silver  to  the  East. 

At  this  time  San  Francisco  was  going  ahead  by  leaps 
and  bounds.  Her  numerous  merchants  were  growing 
richer  every  day. 

Among  the  importing  houses  that  made  millions  of 
dollars  during  the  war  were,  Scholle  Brothers  and  I. 
and  J.  Wormser — who  afterwards  became  noted  finan- 
ciers of  New  York  City — Levi  Strauss  &  Co.,  Murphy 
Grant  &  Co.,  and  Selligman  Brothers, — founders  of 
the  banking  firm  of  T.  and  W.  Selligman  &  Co.,  bankers 
of  New  York  and  Europe. 

The  gambling  world  was  investing  money  in  mining 
enterprises  in  all  parts  of  the  country. 

With  all  this  prosperity  there  were  still  those  who 
were  not  content  to  let  well  enough  alone — those 
whose  intense  feeling  led  them  to  attempt  a  blow  for 
the  Southern  cause,  the  Southern  Confederacy. 

A.  Harpending,  in  the  early  part  of  1862,  traveled 
horseback  through  New  Mexico  into  Texas  and  thence 
to  Richmond,  and  returned  with  a  letter  of  marque 
from  Jeff  Davis. 

Harpending  and  his  confederates  purchased  the  ''Car- 
oline Chapman,"  a  schooner,  and  under  the  pretense 
of  sailing  her  with  a  cargo  of  American  merchandise 
to  some  Mexican  port,  smuggled  aboard  some  cannon, 
a  large  lot  of  small  arms,  ammunition,  etc.  Their 
design  being  to  convert  her  into  a  war  vessel  when  once 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  127 

well  out  on  the  high  seas.  Their  main  object  being 
to  capture  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamers,  as  they  voyaged 
to  Panama  laden  with  their  rich  cargoes  of  valuable 
supplies. 

The  crew  of  the  "Caroline  Chapman"  was  arranged 
for,  and  the  vessel  was  almost  ready  to  sail,  when  the 
plot  was  discovered  and  the  plans  of  the  party  frustrated. 
The  plot  was  said  to  have  been  given  away  by  one  Titus. 

Harpending,  Greathouse  and  an  Englishman  named 
Rhodes,  were  arrested,  tried  and  sentenced  to  ten 
years'  service  at  Alcatraz,  by  United  States  Justice 
Field.  They  were  afterwards  pardoned  by  president 
Johnson,  some  time  after  the  close  of  the  war. 

Who  furnished  these  men  the  arms,  where  they  were 
bought  and  how  procured  was  never  knowm.  None 
of  the  prisoners  ever  made  confession  imphcating  others 
than  themselves.  I  have  heard  that  E.  H.  Coe  was 
president  of  the  association,  and  that  when  he  found 
that  the  vessel  had  been  seized  and  her  proposed  officers 
arrested,  he  sent  a  friend  to  his  room  to  burn  all  the 
papers  connected  with  the  enterprise.  So  no  tell-tale 
evidences  of  guilt  were  found  there  by  the  officers  who 
searched  the  premises. 

Coe  himself  went  to  British  Columbia,  where  another 
party  was  formed.  This  party  bought  a  steamer,  but 
was  unable  to  procure  the  all  essential  letter  of  marque 
from  Jeff  Davis,  because  of  the  fact  that  by  that  time 
the  war  was  on  in  full  force  and  nearly  every  door  was 
closed  and  locked  securely  against  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy. 


128         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

The  attempt  to  equip  and  man  a  privateer  in  the 
harbor  of  San  Francisco  at  that  time  was  a  most  reck- 
less and  daring  undertaking,  and  that  it  came  so  near 
success  is  a  circumstance  most  marvelous  to  relate. 

What  the  effect  upon  the  country  and  the  war  would 
have  been  if  the  scheme  of  capturing  a  number  of  rich 
vessels  loaded  with  a  cargo  of  from  one  to  several  mil- 
lions of  dollars  had  been  successful,  is  idle  to  speculate 
upon.  But  that  it  would  have  proven  a  bonanza  for 
Harpending,  Greathouse  and  Rhodes  goes  without  say- 
ing. 

I  have  never  heard  what  became  of  Greathouse  and 
Rhodes,  after  their  release,  but  Harpending  plunged 
at  once  into  mining  speculations  and  made  quite  a 
sum  of  money. 

In  1880  he  promoted  the  State  Line  Mines  of  New 
York,  and  is,  I  think,  still  hving. 

He  was  a  tall  man  of  a  nervous  quick  action  and 
movement.  Of  untiring  energy  and  great  boldness 
of  character.  All  of  which  characteristics  his  subse- 
quent actions  go  to  prove.  He  figured  conspicuously 
in  the  great  diamond  swindle  of  California,  an  incident 
related  in  another  part  of  this  book. 

California  was  not  called  upon  to  furnish  more  soldiers 
for  the  Civil  War  than  were  obtained  by  voluntary 
enlistment.  There  was  no  drafting  in  the  states  and 
territories  of  the  Pacific  coast.  But  the  citizens  of 
Nevada,  Oregon  and  California  contributed  large  sums 
of  money  to  the  sanitary  fund.  And  those  of  Southern 
sympathies  gave  generously  for  the  benefit  of  Southern 


General  Albert  Sydney  Johnston 
—Fage  117. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  129 

soldiers  in  the  Northern  prisons.  This  latter  fund  was 
collected  by  the  ladies  of  Southern  birth  living  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  was  sent  east  by  them  upon  its  mission  of 
mercy. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  war  there  was  no  great 
feeling  between  those  of  different  views  in  the  state, 
but  as  the  m.agnitude  of  the  struggle  was  more  fully 
comprehended,  and  all  realized  that  it  was  indeed  a 
fight  to  the  finish  between  men  of  the  same  race  and 
the  same  blood,  a  struggle  that  appealed  to  the  stoutest 
hearts,  the  Union  sentiment  gradually  grew  stronger. 
And  all  open  expression  of  sympathy  with  the  Southern 
Confederacy  was  quickly  suppressed.  A  law  was 
passed  prescribing  a  very  stringent  oath  for  all  officials, 
members  of  the  bar  and  others  in  public  employment. 
In  one  instance  a  district  judge  was  impeached  on 
account  of  his  avowed  opposition  to  the  war. 

While  there  were  many  men  in  all  parts  of  the  state 
whose  sympathies  were  entirely  with  the  states  in 
rebellion,  being  in  a  large  minority  they  were  content  to 
follow  their  business  vocations,  in  a  financial  way 
making  the  most  of  an  unhappy  situation.  It  can  be 
said,  truly,  that  the  Pacific  states  were  intensely  loyal 
to  the  Federal  Government  in  its  great  struggle  to  pre- 
serve the  Union — a  struggle  that  fixed  the  supremacy 
of  the  national  government  by  destroying  forever  the 
doctrine  of  secession. 

The  war  ended,  ex-confederate  soldiers  were  invited 
to  California  and  treated  with  that  consideration  which 
brave  men  always  receive  from  a  magnanimous  foe. 


130  The  Gold  Huntees  of  California 

Many  of  them,  to-day,  hold  high  position  of  trust  in  the 
state. 

Harry  I.  Thornton  in  1861  resigned  his  seat  in  the 
state  senate  and  joined  the  Southern  army. 

Thornton  Hved  in  Downieville,  Sierra  County,  where 
he  was  associated  in  the  practice  of  the  law  with  William 
M.  Stewart,  now  senator  from  Nevada.  Thornton 
served  in  the  Confederate  army  for  four  years,  and 
after  the  surrender  of  Joe  Johnson  returned  to  Cali- 
fornia in  the  winter  of  1865. 

Thornton  was  met  in  the  harbor  by  four  old  Downie- 
ville friends,  who  gave  him  a  hearty  welcome.  One 
of  these  friends  was  the  late  Sam  Davis,  a  Northern 
man,  and  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  war — a  banker 
and  money-lender,  with  a  "David  Harum"  reputation. 
After  hearing  from  Harry  that  his  earthly  possessions 
consisted  of  about  ten  dollars  in  cash,  good  health  and 
a  profession,  Davis  drew  from  his  pocket  a  certified 
check  for  four  thousand  dollars  and  urged  his  friend 
to  accept  it. 

With  faltering  voice  and  swimming  eyes,  Thornton 
said : 

"No,  Sam,  old  fellow,  I  cannot  take  it;  while  I  fully 
appreciate  the  feeling  of  friendship  that  prompts  the 
gift,  and  am  grateful  beyond  expression,  yet  I  cannot 
take  it.  My  dear  old  mother  has  a  home  in  the  city 
and  a  small  competency;  she  will  cheerfully  provide 
for  me." 

Thornton  for  thirty  years  stood  at  the  head  of  his 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  131 

profession  in  Nevada  and  California.  And  dying,  a 
few  years  ago,  left  a  very  handsome  fortune. 

John  Conness  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate 
in  1861.  His  election  was  an  accident.  He  was  a 
man  of  mediocre  ability,  and  his  election  by  the  first 
legislature  came  as  a  surprise  to  the  state.  He  had 
served  in  the  state  legislature  for  several  terms  as  a 
Democrat,  and  had  been  active  as  such  for  ten  years 
previous.  His  venomus  tongue  was  always  getting 
him  into  trouble  of  one  kind  or  another.  With  him, 
personal  abuse  took  the  place  of  argument,  which  oft- 
times  placed  him  in  a  most  humiliating  position.  For 
the  early  Californian  w^as  quick  to  resent  an  insult, 
fancied  or  otherwise,  which  made  the  average,  peace- 
loving  man  cautious  in  what  he  said  about  his  neigh- 
bor. Conness  put  no  curb  on  his  tongue,  yet  his  love 
of  peace  was  innate — so  strongly  developed  that  he 
was  never  known  to  resent  any  personal  indignity 
whatever. 

In  the  senate  he  aligned  himself  with  the  radical 
wing  of  the  party.  He  made  no  mark  as  a  debater  in 
that  body,  but  every  one  who  disagreed  with  him  he 
proclaimed  a  copper-head  and  a  traitor;  which  is  not 
infrequent  among  such  statesmen  as  he  and  his  class, 
who  fight  the  battles  of  their  country  with  Samson's 
favorite  weapon. 

His  term  expired  March  4,  1868;  and  he  was  a  can- 
didate for  Secretary  of  War  under  the  incoming  ad- 
ministration. 


132  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

In  March,  1861,  the  terms  of  J.  C.  McKibbeii  and 
Charles  Scott  in  congress  expired. 

McKibben,  a  Pennsylvanian,  went  into  the  Northern 
army,  and  Scott,  an  Alabamian,  into  the  Southern 
army. 

I  never  knew  what  became  of  Scott,  but  I  met  Mc 
Kibbeii  in  Chicago  in  1874,  and  rode  with  him  as  far 
as  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania.  At  this  time  he  gave 
me  a  long  recital  of  his  army  experiences,  two  of  which 
anecdotes  I  reproduce  for  the  benefit  of  my  readers. 

Just  before  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  McKibben, 
who  was  on  the  staff  of  General  Rosecrans,  met  Colonel 
Harry  I.  Thornton,  of  the  Confederate  army  under  a 
flag  of  truce,  as  they  were  warm  personal  friends.  An 
hour  or  more  was  very  pleasantly  spent  by  them  in 
inquiring  concerning  the  Californians  on  both  sides. 

In  parting,  McKibben  agreed  to  send  througli  the 
lines  to  Thornton  a  demi-john  of  whiskey,  of  which 
article  of  necessity  there  seemed  to  be  a  great  scarcity 
in  the  Confederate  camp. 

A  few  days  after  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  Mc 
Kibben  received  a  note  from  Thornton  giving  the  in- 
formation that  he  had  been  w^ounded  in  the  fight,  and 
that  the  whiskey  would  be  particularly  acceptable 
and  appreciated  just  then. 

Upon  receipt  of  Thornton's  note  McKibben  said  he 
searched  the  camp  over  and  could  find  only  a  very 
inferior  quality  of  whiskey.  A  "Jersey  lightning" 
article,  warranted  to  kill  if  taken  in  sufficient  quanti- 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  133 

ties.  He  filled  a  demi-john,  however,  and  conveyed 
it  to  the  lines  of  the  enemy  for  his  old  friend. 

The  incident,  someway,  became  known  to  the  news- 
paper correspondents,  who  published  it  far  and  wide, 
to  the  discredit  of  the  commander-in-chief,  for  allowing 
such  civilities  to  pass  between  the  Union  and  Rebel 
armies.  So  Rosecrans  privately  remonstrated  with 
his  friend,  saying: 

''Joe,  I  know  full  well  the  free  masonry  existing 
between  you  Californians,  and  personally  I  admire  it, 
but  you  see  it  is  getting  me  into  trouble,-  so  I  hope  you 
will  in  the  future  forego  all  intercourse  with  your  friends 
in  the  rebel   army." 

"All  right,  Rosey,"  McKibben  replied,  ''but  I  can 
tell  you  one  thing.  If  a  thousand  barrels  of  whiskey, 
such  as  I  sent  Thornton,  could  have  been  turned  looee 
in  Bragg's  camp  before  the  battle,  you  would  not  have 
been  whipped  at  Chickamauga." 

After  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  McKibben  was  de- 
tailed to  convey  a  lot  of  Confederate  prisoners  to  Camp 
Lookout,  among  the  rest  a  colonel.  They  were  covered 
with  the  smoke  and  dust  of  battle,  and  were  objects  of 
great  curiosity  to  the  Pennsylvania  Dutch  farmers, 
who,  up  to  that  time,  had  never  seen  a  real  hve  "Reb." 

At  one  of  their  halting  places  an  old  farmer  interviewed 
the  colonel,  asking  him  if  he  did  not  think  he  was  doing 
very  wrong  in  fighting  to  break  up  the  best  government 
the  world  ever  saw.  The  colonel  replied  they  were 
fighting  for  their  homes,  their  friends  and  all  that  they 


134         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

held  most  dear.  Altogether,  the  farmer  was  worsted 
in  the  argument,  and  finally  said: 

"I  wish  you  would  answer  me  one  question." 

"All  right,  certainly  what  is  it?"  was  the  courteous 
response. 

"Are  all  rebels  as  dirty  and  ragged  as  you  fellows?" 

This  was  too  much  for  our  colonel,  a  Virginian,  to 
accept  complacently,  and  the  response  came: 

"Do  you  think  southern  gentlemen  put  on  their 
Sunday  clothes  to  butcher  hogs?" 

President  Johnson  appointed  McKibben  governor  of 
Montana,  but  his  confirmation  was  defeated  in  the 
senate  by  the  persistent  work  of  Conness,  although 
Cornelius  Cole,  the  other  California  senator,  favored 
him. 

When  Grant  was  elected,  Conness'  term  in  the  senate 
expired,  and  he  became  anxious  to  be  Secretary  of 
War  under  the  new  administration.  It  was  generally 
supposed  that  he  would  get  the  appointment. 

McKibben  said  he  saw  his  chance  to  play  even.  He 
knew  that  Grant  detested  a  physical  coward,  and  that 
if  Grant  learned  the  history  of  Conness  in  California, 
he  would  never  appoint  him  to  office.     He  said: 

"I  was  intimate  with  General  Schofield,  dined  with 
him  often.  Schofield  dined  as  often  with  General 
Sherman  who  was  Grant's  most  intimate  friend.  So, 
I  invited  Schofield  to  dine.  In  the  course  of  the  meal 
I  remarked,  "I  see  the  President's  policy  is  peace." 

"Yes,   so   General   Grant  declares." 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  135 

"I  am  convinced  of  it,  for  Conness  is  to  be  Secretary 
of  War." 

''How  so?"  inquired  the  general. 

"Because,"  continued  McKibben,  "I  know  Conness 
to  be  in  his  Hfe  a  thorough  exponent  of  perfect  peace." 

"I  do  not  understand,  please  explain  yourself." 

"Well,"  said  McKibben,  "in  California  where  we 
both  lived,  Hugh  Murray  horse-whipped  him,  Charley 
Fairfax  slapped  his  face,  he  vilified  Judge  Botts,  who 
challenged  him  to  a  duel,  to  avoid  which  Conness 
arose  in  his  place  in  the  state  senate  and  withdrew  all 
that  he  had  said  against  the  Judge,  and  eulogied  him 
to  the  skies.  A  man  in  the  cabinet  with  this  record 
is  an  assurance  to  the  nation  that  the  policy  of  the 
administration  is  certainly  peace." 

Joe  said  Schofield  laughed  heartily  at  this  narrative 
and  his  scheme  worked  as  planned.  For  Schofield  told 
Sherman,  Sherman  in  turn  told  Grant  and  Conness 
was  retired  to  private  life. 

In  personal  appearance,  McKibben  was  a  large, 
powerful  man,  good  natured  and  affable,  a  fair  repre- 
sentative of  the  early  Californian. 

Before  entering  congress  he  was  a  miner  in  Downieville, 
California.  He  had  a  rich  claim  on  Durgan  Flat,  but 
the  most  of  his  earnings  were  squandered  at  the  gaming 
table. 

Once,  when  he  and  another  went  into  town  with 
$1200.00  with  which  to  buy  their  winter's  supplies,  they 
agreed  not  to  gamble  until  their  "grub"  was  bought 


136         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

and  paid  for.  But  as  the  evening  advanced  the  temp- 
tation to  try  their  luck  overcame  them  both,  and  they 
lost  their  "grub-stake"  at  faro,  returning  to  their 
claim  the  next  morning,  dead  broke,  to  dig  out  more 
of  the  yellow  metal  with  which  to  buy  their  food. 

McKibben  and  five  brothers  made  their  mark  in 
the  Civil  War,  and  one,  I  think,  is  still  in  the  army. 

When  I  last  saw  McKibben,  he  told  me  he  had 
$100,000,  was  still  a  bachelor,  that  he  was  educating 
five  young  ladies  so  they  could  take  care  of  themselves, 
and  that  his  only  desire  was  that  he  could  have  sixty 
days'  notice  before  his  demise,  in  which  to  spend  all 
his  earnings  before  he  passed  away. 


CHAPTER  IX 

After  the  commenceme-nt  of  the  Civil  War  the  ex- 
treme isolation  of  the  Pacific  states  was  felt  keenly  by 
themselves  and  throughout  the  East. 

Henry  M.  Judah,  a  practical  civil  engineer  and  rail- 
road man,  thinking  the  time  was  propitious  for  the 
construction  of  a  Pacific  railroad  from  Omaha  to 
California,  associated  with  himself  in  the  enterprise 
Leland  Stanford,  then  governor  of  California,  Judge 
Crocker,  then  judge  on  the  Supreme  Bench,  Charles 
Crocker,  his  brother,  Mark  Hopkins  and  Collis  P. 
Huntington. 

They  incorporated  under  the  name  of  The  Central 
Pacific  Railroad  Company. 

Judah,  dying  after  the  preliminary  surveys  had  been 
made,  left  the  control  of  the  company  in  the  hands 
of  his  colleagues.  It  is  doubtful  if  the  combined 
capital  of  the  promoters  of  this  gigantic  midertaking 
reached  the  smn  of  $250,000.  But  they  realized  the 
importance  of  the  huge  enterprise  to  the  nation  at 
large,  and  had  the  business  foresight  to  seize  the  oppor- 
tunity, and  while  benefitting  the  whole  country,  at  the 
same  time  turn  it  to  their  own  personal  advantage  as 
well. 

Congress  gave  them  the  odd  sections  of  public  lands 
on  both  sides  of  the  proposed  road  for  twenty  miles, 

137 


138         The  Gold  Huntees  of  California 

and  also  agreed  to  take  first  mortgage  bonds  and  ad- 
vance the  money  as  fast  as  each  fifty  miles  was  com- 
pleted and  accepted  by  the  government  inspectors  at 
the  following  rate: 

For  all  plain  lands  over  which  the  road  should  rui), 
$16,000  per  mile. 

For  the  foot-hills  land,  $24,000  per  mile. 

For  the  moimtainous  land,  $36,000  per  mile. 

For  the  Sierras  land,  $48,000  per  mile. 

They  returned  to  California  with  the  project  and  the 
state  gave  them  something  like  a  million  and  a  half; 
and  the  counties  of  San  Francisco,  Sacramento,  Placer 
and  San  Joaquin  gave  about  two  millions  more  in 
bonds  of  their  respective  counties. 

At  the  next  session  of  congress  they  had  the  original 
bill  amended  so  that  the  government  permitted  them 
to  issue  first  mortgage  bonds,  $16,000,  $24,000,  $36,000, 
and  $48,000,  as  before  stated.  And  agreed  to  take 
second  mortgage  bonds  for  a  like  amount  and  advance 
the  money  upon  the  completion  of  each  twenty-five 
miles  of  the  road. 

In  the  meantime,  the  company  sold  all  the  stock 
they  could,  which  was  not  very  much,  to  private  in- 
dividuals. 

They  then  organized  a  Contract  and  Finance  Com- 
pany, consisting  of  the  directors  of  the  road,  namely: 

Stanford,  the  two  Crockers,  Hopkins  and  Huntington; 
contracting  to  build  the  road  for  the  railroad  com- 
pany, in  consideration  of  the  lands  donated  by  the 
government;  the    first    and    second    mortgage    bonds 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  139 

of  the  company  and  other  bonds  that  had  been  donated 
to  thenL 

The  road  building  was  commenced  in  1864  and  com- 
pleted in  1869.  It  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  little  plain 
and  hilly  country  was  encountered;  the  most  being 
mountainous.  The  long  stretch  of  tablelands  in 
Nevada  and  Utah  was  accepted  by  the  government  as 
mountainous.  It  was  cheaper  to  run  around  the 
arroyos,  and  thereby  make  as  many  miles  as  possible, 
than  to  throw  bridges  across  them. 

Huntington  established  headquarters  in  Washington; 
Stanford  attended  to  state  legislation  and  Charles 
Crocker,  superintended  the  building' of  the  road. 

Judge  Crocker  sold  out  his  interest  in  the  enterprise 
to  his  co-partners,  before  the  completion  of  the  road. 

When  the  road  was  completed  it  is  said  a  large  sum — 
I  have  heard  it  was  $15,000,000 — was  divided  among 
the  remaining  partners,  Stanford,  Hopkins,  Crocker 
and  Huntington,  who  constituted  the  Contract  and 
Finance  Company. 

In  the  meantime  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany had  purchased  the  steamboats  on  Sacramento, 
San  Joaquin  and  Feather  rivers,  had  built  as  far  north 
as  Red  Bluffs,  and  from  Sacramento  to  San  Francisco, 
by  way  of  Lathrop  and  Stockton.  This  gave  them  a 
virtual  monopoly  of  the  carrying  trade  of  all  northern 
cind  central  California. 

For  a  long  time  the  railroad  company  charged 
seven  to  ten  cents  a  mile  for  carrying  passengers,  and 
their  freight  charges  were  just  below  the  cost  of  freight- 


140         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

ing  by  team.    This  added  very  largely  to  their  revenues. 

About  the  year  18G6  Congress  made  a  donation  to 
the  Western  Pacific  Railroad  of  public  lands  in  the 
state,  and  the  owners  of  the  Central  Pacific  acquired 
their  rights-.  A  few  years  later  they  began  the  con- 
struction of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad. 

The  Legislature  passed  a  bill  donating  to  the  Central 
Pacific  several  millions  of  state  bonds,  -  and  which 
bill  was  vetoed  by  Governor  Low. 

George  C.  Gorham,  Low's  private  secretary,  favored 
the  measure  then,  and  in  the  following  election,  through 
the  influence  of  the  railroad  he  was  nominated  for 
Governor  on  the  Republican  ticket.  He  was  defeated 
however  by  Henry  H.   Haight. 

The  nomination  of  Gorham,  an  avowed  railroad 
man,  caused  a  serious  break  in  the  Republican  party. 
And  that  winter  witnessed  a  big  fight  in  the  legislature 
over  the  tide  lands  of  San  Francisco,  The  matter 
was  finally  adjusted  by  the  passage  of  a  bill  defining 
the  sea  wall  of  the  city,  giving  the  railroad  sixty  acres, 
thirty  acres  to  the  Central  Pacific  and  thirty  acres  to 
the  Southern  Pacific.  This  was  in  Mission  Bay  and 
for  depot  purposes.  The  remainder  was  surveyed 
into  lots  and  blocks  and  sold  at  public  sale.  The 
money  realized  from  these  sales  was  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  $1,700,000. 

At  this  session  of  the  legislature  was  founded  the 
State  University  at  Berkeley,  the  state  capital  was 
permanently  located  at  Sacramento  and  the  construc- 
tion of   the  capital   building  authorized,   the  Golden 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  Califorxia  141 

Gate  Park  was  authorized,  also  the  City  Hall  Building 
for  San  F'rancisco,  and  the  foundation  was  laid  for 
the  most  excellent  system  of  public  schools  in  the  state 
by  doubling  the  tax  for  common  school  purposes. 

Judged  by  its  work  this  was  one  of  the  most  inijjor- 
tant  sessions  of  the  legislature  ever  convened  in  the 
state.  I  represented,  in  part,  San  Francisco  in  this 
session  and  always  feel  some  pride  in  the  part  I  took 
in  its  deliberations. 

I  introduced  and  passed  the  bill  disposing  of  the 
tide  lands  spoken  of  above,  in  the  face  of  a  most  stren- 
uous opposition  from  the  railroads,  who  were  trying 
to  secure  that  valuable  property  as  a  donation,  which, 
had  they  succeeded,  would  have  given  them  perpetual 
control  of  the  water  front  of  the  city. 

While  in  this  session  I  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Henry  George,  who  was  afterwards  famous  as  a  single 
taxer.  At  that  time  he  was  editing  the  San  Francisco 
Times,  a  Republican  paper.  From  that  time,  up  to 
his  tragic  death,  during  his  canvass  for  mayor  of  New 
York,  we  were  warm,  personal  friends. 

George  was  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  firm  of 
purpose,  unbending  and  unyielding.  A  political  gladi- 
ator, always  ready  in  the  forum  of  public  opinion  to 
fight  for  any  cause  he  deemed  just  and  right.  With 
him  policy,  personal,  pecuniary  or  political  advance- 
ment never  controlled  his  actions  in  the  least,  nor 
ever  swerved  him  from  what  he  considered  to  be  his 
duty,  to  his  God,  to  his  country  and  to  his  fellow  man. 

He  was  a  Christian  of  the  world,  boimd  by  no  narrow 


142         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

creed  or  sect.  His  life  was  one  full  of  love  for  the  com- 
mon people,  miboimded  and  devoted  to  them  and  their 
cause.  He  was  plain,  simple  and  unassuming.  Yet 
he  was  maligned,  misrepresented  and  persecuted  during 
his  life.  But  the  world  now  concedes  his  greatness, 
and  enrolls  his  name  among  the  immortals  of  the  last 
century. 

Henry  George  was  a  writer  who  never  used  his  pen 
in  the  advocacy  of  any  cause  he  did  not  believe  to  be 
right. 

He  founded  the  San  Francisco  Evening  Post  and 
under  his  editorial  management  it  was  established  upon 
a  firm  financial  basis.  When  the  principal  owner 
of  the  paper,  a  man  of  national  reputation  insisted  that 
the  paper  should  advocate  political  measures  to  which 
George  was  opposed,  he  resigned  his  position,  sacri- 
ficed his  interest  in  the  paper,  and  vnih  an  empty 
purse  began  his  life  anew.  A  step  that  met  the  warm 
approval  of  his  devoted  wife. 

He  moved  his  family  into  cheap  rooms,  where  "Pro- 
gress and  Poverty"  was  written.  No  publisher  would 
print  the  book.  So  George  secured  among  his  friends 
a  thousand  subscribers,  and  being  a  printer,  set  up 
the  type  himself.  The  book  was  widely  read  by  thought- 
ful men  both  in  this  country  and  Europe,  and  the  name 
of  Henry  George  as  a  thinker  and  reformer  became 
firmly  established  in  the  world.  His  subsequent  books 
only  increased  his  reputation. 

Denounced  at  first  as  a  socialist  and  anarchist,  be- 
cause of  his  courage  in  attacking  abuses  mouldering 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  143 

under  the  moss  of  ages  his  broad  humanity  and  great 
civic  virtues  were  finally  acknowledged,  and  he  died 
leaving  the  citizenship  of  the  great  metropolis  mourning 
the  loss  of  one  of  the  most  profound  thinkers  of  the 
19th  century.  And  all  classes,  high  and  low  alike 
vied  with  each  other  in  paying  homage  to  his  memory. 

The  next  session  of  the  legislature,  in  the  winter  of 
1869-70,  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  passed 
a  bill  through  both  houses,  allowing  all  the  southern 
counties  to  vote  bonds  in  aid  of  the  Southern  Pacific 
at  the  rate  of  $10,000  per  mile,  for  every  mile  of  railroad 
built  in  such  county,  which  meant  bankruptcy  to 
many  of  them.  The  amount  that  San  Louis  Obispo 
alone  would  have  been  entitled  to  vote  was  $1,800,000. 

Kern  County's  share  would  have  been  $2,250,000. 
And  at  that  time  these  counties  were  all  sparsely  settled 
with  a  small  amount  of  taxable  property. 

During  this  session  I  was  called  to  Sacramento, 
where  I  learned  from  Governor  Haight  that  he  felt 
it  his  duty  to  veto  the  Southern  Pacific  bill,  but  feared 
that  it  would  be  passed  over  his  veto,  as  the  railroad 
seemed  to  be  in  control  of  both  houses  of  the  legislature. 

The  senate  was  composed  of  forty  members,  twenty- 
two  Democrats  and  eighteen  Republicans.  Four  of  the 
Democratic  members  were  employes  or  contractors 
under  the  railroad.  To  them,  of  course,  it  was  idle 
to  appeal  for  assistance  to  defeat  the  bill. 

L.  L.  Bullock  and  myself,  at  the  suggestion  of  the 
governor,  secured  the  pledge  of  seventeen  Democrats 
to  vote  in  future  to  sustain  all  the  governor's  vetoes. 


144  The  Gold  Hunters  op  California 

George  C.  Perkins,  now  United  States  senator,  was 
an  independent,  an ti -railroad  Republican,  elected  from 
Butte  County. 

Haight  sent  in  his  veto  of  the  bill  to  the  senate  and 
a  day  was  set  for  a  vote  upon  it.  The  railroad  got  in 
its  lobby  work,  and  four  of  our  men  "fell  down,"  and 
one,  the  senator  from  Sonoma  County  was  ill  with 
pneumonia,  and  not  present.  It  was  absolutely  nec- 
essary, in  order  to  preserve  the  veto,  that  he  should 
be  there.  Tom  Fowler,  of  Tulare  County,  was  appointed 
to  hold  the  floor  until  the  sick  man  could  be  brought  in. 

Tom  was  an  illiterate,  voluble  Irishman.  He  arose, 
he  began  his  speech,  talked  railroad  subsidies,  no  fence 
law,  stock  raising  and  almost  everything  else.  About 
every  five  minutes  he  would  pause  and  take  a  drink 
of  water.  So  frequent  did  this  irrigation  act  become 
that  James  Green,  of  Marin  County,  raised  a  point  of 
order, 

''State  your  point  of  order,"  said  President  Holden. 

"I  object,"  said  games  Green,  "to  seeing  a  windmill 
run  by  water." 

This  interruption  did  not  embarrass  Fowler  in  the 
least.  He  manfully  held  the  floor  until  four  men 
entered  bearing  Burnett,  the  Sonoma  senator,  upon 
a  mattress,  and  well  covered  with  blankets. 

"I  am  through,  gentlemen,"  then  concluded  the 
intrepid  Tom. 

The  vote  on  the  governor's  veto  was  then  ordered, 
which  was  taken  and  resulted  in  the  veto  being  sustained. 


LoxTTS  Qvoss.— Page  150. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         145 

Thirteen  Democrats  with  Senator  Perkins  voting  in  the 
affirmative. 

This  ended  all  attempts  of  the  railroad  to  obtain  state 
or  county  bonds  in  aid  of  their  various  schemes. 

As  before  stated  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  was 
built  by  the  owners  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad 
Company,  who  utilized  the  earnings  of  the  completed 
road  to  construct  the  other.  For  as  fast  as  a  section 
of  the  Southern  Pacific  was  built,  it  was  leased  to  the 
Central  Pacific,  presumable  for  enough  to  build  another 
section. 

In  this  way  the  Southern  Pacific  was  completed, 
without  any  bonded  indebtedness,  unless  I  am  mis- 
informed. 

The  building  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  across 
the  Sierra  Nevadas,  where  the  snowfall  in  winter  is 
frequently  twenty  feet,  was  an  herculean  ^ask;  and 
that  it  should  have  been  successfully  accomplished 
by  four  men  whose  combined  capital  could  not  have 
been  sufficient  to  complete  ten  miles  of  road  over 
the  most  favorable  ground  on  the  proposed  line,  and 
without  any  previous  experience  in  that  kind  of  work, 
was  a  most  remarkable  and  wonderful  feat. 

The  men  and  their  ability  seemed  to  develop  with 
the  progress  of  the  work.  All  became  multi-million- 
aires, and  all  during  their  lives  held  high  positions  in 
the  railroad  world. 

The  rottenness  of  the  ''Credit  Mobelier,"  which 
built  the  Union  Pacific  was  exposed  in  the  courts  and 


146         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

in  congress,  as  is  well  known  to  every  one.  But  the 
secret  workings  of  the  Contract  and  Finance  Company 
were  never  made  public. 

Several  attempts  were  made  to  bring  the  company 
to  an  accounting  in  the  courts  of  California,  but  the 
suits  were  invariably  settled  or  compromised  in  some 
quiet  way, 

I  had  a  personal  acquaintance  with  Governor  Stan- 
ford, wdio  left  to  his  adopted  state  the  Stanford  Univer- 
sity, a  monument  more  lasting  than  brass,  more  dur- 
able than  marble.  One  that  through  the  centuries 
to  come  will  perpetuate  his  munificence  as  a  citizen 
and  his  virtues  as  a  man.  A  man  warm-hearted,  gen- 
erous and  kind. 

In  the  fall  of  1868  I  made  the  trip  overland  from 
San  Francisco  to  New  York.  Alter  leaving  Sacra- 
mento City  I  traveled  by  passenger  and  construction 
train  to  Argenta,  Nevada,  thence  by  stage  six  days 
and  nights  to  Salt  Lake  City,  when,  for  the  first  time 
after  leaving  Sacramento  I  was  privileged  to  undress 
and  enjoy  a  good  night's  rest.  I  had  been  nine  days 
on  the  way,  the  roads  were  bad  and  the  stage-line 
without  eating  stations  after  leaving  Austin,  so  I 
and  two  fellow  travelers  fared  none  too  well.  For 
three  days  before  reaching  Salt  Lake  City  we  averaged 
about  a  meal  every  fifteen  hours,  and  then  the  greatest 
thing  about  them  was  the  price,  being  never  less  than 
a  dollar  and  a  half  per  meal. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  fifth 
day  of  this  stage  journey  we  reach  a  station.    It  was 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         147 

November  and  very  cold.  We  sat  an  hour  shivering 
over  the  poor  fire,  when  a  voice  issuing  from  an  un- 
washed, uncombed  specimen  of  the  pioneer  invited 
us  to  breakfast  by  the  announcement: 

"Yer  grub's  ready." 

A  very  welcome  sound  as  we  had  not  tasted  food 
for  eighteen  hoiu-s.  We  lost  no  time  in  approaching 
the  table.  This  meal  consisted  of  coffee — or  rather 
hot  water  barely  colored  with  coffee — bacon  as  thick 
as  your  hand  and  floating  in  grease;  flour  dough  fried 
a  little  on  the  outside  in  this  grease  from  the  bacon, 
and  nothing  more.  I  ate  one  slice  of  the  bacon  and 
nibbled  the  outside  of  a  ball  of  dough,  which  was 
sufficient  for  me.  I  had  enough.  That  bacon  must 
have  been  captured  by  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown  and 
sent  west  for  the  consumption  of  just  such  unfortunates 
as  we  were.  None  but  those  almost  starved  could 
have  eaten  it.  Age  had  given  it  strength  which  even 
our  hungry  palates  failed  to  make  enjoyable. 

Salt  Lake  City  was  at  that  time  a  city  of  ten  thou- 
sand. Brigham  Yomig  owned  and  occupied  a  large 
block  enclosed  by  a  wall  about  fifteen  feet  high.  Within 
the  enclosure  was  the  Lion  house  where  lived  seven 
or  eight  of  his  wives.  In  the  block  were  numerous 
small  houses,  each  having  a  door  through  the  wall, 
which  was  securely  locked  on  the  outside.  I  was 
told  that  in  each  of  these  houses  there  lived  one  wife 
of  the  prophet  and  her  children. 

It  seemed  to  be  the  custom  of  the  Mormons  li\'ing 
in  the  country  to  have  a  small  house  for  each  wife, 


148         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

rather  than  have  the  numerous  wives  of  the  same  man 
hve  in  one  house. 

The  Tabernacle,  built  with  a  seating  capacity  of 
six  thousand,  was  then  completed  and  contained  one 
of  the  largest,  most  magnificent  and  best  toned  pipe 
organs  I  have  ever  seen  or  heard.  This  fine  instrument 
was  constructed  entirely  by  Mormon  mechanics. 

In  that  his  command  was  law  Brigham  Young  was 
the  controlling  power  among  his  followers.  He  was 
a  great  executive  and  as  interesting  a  conversationalist 
as  I  ever  met. 

Among  his  people  industry,  temperance  and  thrift 
were  strictly  enjoined,  and  each  man  encouraged  to 
take  as  many  wives  as  he  could  support. 

Brigham  had  a  wire  connecting  his  office  with  every 
Mormon  settlement  for  miles  around.  Farmers  were 
limited  to  small  acreages;  few  farms  were  above  twenty 
acres.  The  stores  of  the  church  were  co-operative, 
so,  also  the  flouring  mills,  the  woolen  mills  and  other 
manufacturing  enterprises.  The  Mormons  were  self- 
sustaining,  so  far  as  dependence  of  the  outside  world 
was  concerned. 

There  was  only  one  bar  and  billiard  saloon  in  the 
city,  and  that  was  patronized  exclusively  by  gentiles. 
The  city  had  a  theater;  all  the  actors  were  Mormons. 
Admission  to  the  theater  was  paid  in  poultry,  cabbage, 
turnips  and  all  kinds  of  produce,  or  whatever  else 
the  patrons  had.  I  suppose  that  each  article  had  its 
price,  but  I  do  not  know  how  that  was  arranged.    It  was 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  149 

an  orderly  town  and  living  was  cheap  as  compared 
with  that  in  any  of  the  eastern  cities. 

Almost  all  the  Mormons  were  from  the  Protestant 
countries  of  Europe.  I  was  told  there  were  no  prose- 
lytes from  the  Catholic  Church. 

I  took  stage  from  Salt  Lake  City  for  Bryan  City, 
the  end  of  the  Union  Pacific,  traveling  two  days  and 
nights.  Only  a  few  days  before  my  arrival  Bryan 
City  had  indulged  in  a  lynching  in  which  several 
men  were  hung  and  quite  a  number  of  rough  char- 
acters driven  out  of  town.  From  this  city  I  traveled 
as  far  as  Cheyenne  on  a  caboose  attached  to  a  con- 
struction train,  when  we  entered  a  sleeping  car  and 
enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  good  night's  rest.  For  four 
hundred  miles  along  this  road  there  were  no  perma- 
nent settlers.  Cheyenne  was  a  town  of  tents.  Gambling 
seemed  to  be  the  chief  industry.  From  Cheyenne  it 
was  good  traveling  all  the  rest  of  the  way  to  New  York 
City. 

On  this  trip  Mr.  Hutchinson,  of  the  firm  of  Hutchin- 
son, Kohl  &  Co.,  was  a  fellow  passenger.  This  firm 
was  connected  with  the  Alaska  Commerical  Company, 
which  for  thirty  years  held  a  monopoly  of  the  fur-seal 
trade,  and  to  a  large  extent,  still  controls  the  fur  trade 
of  Alaska, 

Alaska,  as  all  know,  was  purchased  by  Secretary 
Seward  under  Johnson's  administration  in  1867.  Sew- 
ard's attention  was  first  directed  to  this  territory  by  a 
man  who  had  been  killing  seals  in  the  Arctic,  and 


150         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

wanted  to  obtain  from  Russia  a  concession  through 
the  state  department  to  extend  his  business. 

After  several  conversations  with  his  party  Seward, 
being  convinced  of  the  value  of  Alaska  by  reason  of  its 
furs  and  seals,  its  forests  and  its  fisheries,  entered  into 
negotiations  for  its  purchase.  The  Russian  Fur  Com- 
pany for  many  years  had  been  established  there  on  a 
firm  basis,  and  on  the  transfer  of  Alaska  to  our  sov- 
ereignty was  anxious  to  close  out. 

Hutchinson,  Kohl  &  Co.  formed  a  company  in  San 
Francisco  under  the  name  of  the  Alaska  Commercial 
Company  to  take  over  their  property.  I  think  there 
were  originally  ten  men  who  formed  this  company, 
each  paying  into  the  fund  the  sum  of  ten  thousand 
dollars.  Four  of  these  men  I  knew  in  San  Francisco. 
They  were  John  Livingston,  Louis  Sloss,  Louis  Ger- 
stle  and  A.  Waserman.  The  American  Company 
bought  out  the  stores  and  other  property  of  the  Rus- 
sian company.  By  shipping  silks,  wines,  brandies 
and  other  articles  on  which  there  was  an  extreme  war- 
tariff  to  San  Francisco,  where  they  were  admitted  free 
of  duty,  the  company  reimbursed  itself  four-fold, 
and  had  money  in  its  treasury  with  which  to  lobby  in 
Washington.  Sloss,  who  was  the  brains  of  the  enter- 
prise, became  a  Grant  elector  in  California,  In  1869 
they  had  a  bill  introduced  in  congress  to  lease  the 
fur-seal  rookeries  of  Alaska,  which  failed  at  that  session 
on  account  of  the  determined  opposition  of  representa- 
tive Johnson  of  California. 

Grant  was  inaugurated  president  in  18G9,  and  he 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  151 

appointed  General  Miller,  an  old  army  comrade,  a 
collector  of  customs  for  San  Francisco. 

After  a  short  time  Miller  resigned  that  office  and 
became  president  of  the  Alaska  Commerical  Company. 

At  the  ensuing  session  of  congress  the  bill  to  lease 
the  fur-seal  islands  was  passed  and  became  a  law. 
Under  the  provisions  of  the  bill  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  advertised  for  bids,  and  the  lease  was  to  go 
to  the  party  offering  the  most  advantageous  terms  to 
the  government;  but  the  lessees  were  to  be  familiar 
with  the  mode  of  killing  seals,  etc.  The  latter  clause 
was  evidently  inserted  purposely  to  exclude  all  bidders 
except  the  commerical  company. 

When  the  time  came  for  the  opening  of  the  bids. 
General  Miller  was  on  the  gromid.  All  the  bids  were 
rejected,  except  two,  because  the  parties  presenting 
them  had  no  experience  in  the  business.  The  bid  of 
the  Alaska  Commercial  Company  was  much  lower 
than  the  competing  bids,  but  the  company  was  given 
the  lease  at  the  price  of  the  competing  bid,  which  gave 
it  a  franchise  for  twenty-five  years.  A  contract  that 
was  worth  millions  annually. 

I  knew  Louis  Sloss  intimately.  He  died  about 
1902. 

He  was  a  man  of  many  noble  traits  of  character 
generous  and  charitable.  He  was  highly  esteemed 
and  respected;  not  only  by  his  business  associates,  but 
by  all  citizens  of  San  Francisco. 


CHAPTER  X 

Of  those  who  followed  mining  in  California  in  the 
early  days  very  few  became  the  subsequent  millionaires 
of  the  state.  The  large  fortunes  were  made  through 
investments  in  land  and  business  enterprises. 

James  Lick  came  to  California  in  1848  and  settled 
in  San  Jose.  He  invested  in  comitry  and  city  property. 
The  hundred  vara  lot,  275x275  feet,  on  which  is  built 
the  Lick  House,  he  bought  in  1848  for  sixteen  ounces 
of  gold  dust,  or  $256.  When  he  died  this  property 
alone  was  worth  several  millions  of  dollars. 

He  founded  the  Lick  flouring  mills  at  San  Jose,  the 
first,  I  think,  in  the  state,  and  which  paid  handsomely. 
He  invested  his  accumulations  in  real  estate,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  in  1877,  he  left  an  estate  of  about 
$8,000,000.  He  was  by  trade  a  piano-maker;  and, 
I  have  heard,  owing  to  some  domestic  trouble,  left 
his  wife  in  New  York,  emigrated  to  Buenos  Ayres, 
thence  to  San  Francisco  shortly  after  the  discovery 
of  gold. 

Lick  was  a  woman-hater.  If  a  woman  entered  one 
door  of  his  office  he  would  disappear  through  another. 
He  would  never  speak  to  a  woman,  or  have  any  trans- 
actions with  them  whatever. 

He  employed  his  son  and  nephew  for  many  years 
as  managers  of  his  estate,  at  nominal  salaries,  always 

152 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  153 

assuring  them  that  their  reward  would  come  after 
his  death.  Then  in  his  will  he  divided  his  estate  in  a 
most  eccentric  manner.  First,  he  left  a  large  sum 
to  found  the  Lick  Observatory,  an  equal  amount  for 
the  establishment  of  an  academy  of  arts  and  sciences; 
quite  a  large  sum  to  the  Pioneer  Society  of  California; 
a  sum  for  the  erection  of  a  monument  to  the  memory 
of  Francis  Barton  Key,  author  of  "The  Star  Spangled 
Banner";  another  for  a  monument  to  his  own  ancestors; 
and  various  other  bequests,  but  overlooking  his  son 
and  nephew  entirely.  His  son  was  paid  by  the  trustees 
of  the  estate,  if  I  remember  rightly,  $300,000  in  order 
to  avoid  litigation,  but  the  nephew  received  nothing. 

Horace  Hawes  was  another  strange  character,  whose 
fortime  was  made  in  San  Francisco  real  estate. 

Hawes  was  a  lawyer. 

Under  the  old  Mexican  law  the  Pueblo  of  San  Fran- 
cisco was  given  almost  all  the  land  on  the  peninsula 
for  the  benefit  of  the  citizens  of  the  pueblo  to  graze 
or  cultivate  at  will.  With  the  advent  of  Americans 
came  "squatters"  on  all  these  pueblo  and  outside  lands. 
The  titles  to  these  were  subsequently  confirmed  to 
those  in  possession,  by  act  of  the  legislature,  and  now 
cover  much  of  the  most  desirable  residence  and  busi- 
ness property  of  the  city. 

Horace  Hawes  held  a  large  tract  of  this  land,  which 
formed  the  foundation  for  the  millions  of  dollars  he 
left  at  his  demise  in  the  early  seventies.  He  was  a 
very  penurious  man,  vain  and  ambitious. 

Hawes  represented  San  Francisco  in  the  state  senate 


154         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

in  1863  to  1867;  and  besides  passing  a  bill  gi\ang  him- 
self and  others  titles  to  their  pueblo  lands,  bore  a 
leading  part  in  all  the  legislation  of  the  two  sessions. 
He  was  a  man  of  conceded  ability,  but  very  eccentric 
and  very  vindictive.  He  introduced  and  passed  the 
first  registry  law  of  the  state,  a  cumbersome  and  in- 
tricate law,  puzzling  to  the  most  astute  of  lawyers. 
But  no  doubt  it  suited  the  author,  for  when  it  was 
under  discussion  in  the  senate  and  a  brother  senator 
called  attention  to  some  of  its  defects,  Hawes  declared 
that  it  was  "about  as  perfect  as  human  ingenuity 
could  make  it." 

He  conceived  a  great  animosity  to  his  colleague. 
Senator  Dodge,  which  he  made  no  effort  to  conceal 
either  in  public  or  private.  In  a  debate  upon  some 
measure,  where,  as  usual,  they  opposed  each  other 
Hawes  once  said: 

"Mr.  President: — I  have  traveled  a  great  deal  dur- 
ing my  life,  not  only  in  my  own  country,  but  in  the 
British  Isles  and  Europe.  Among  other  places  I  have 
visited  the  'Eternal  City.'  While  in  Rome  I  saw  the 
art  gallery  of  the  Vatican,  and  I  was  deUghted  with 
the  many  beautiful  paintings  of  the  old  masters  there 
exhibited.  One  in  particular  commanded  my  atten- 
tion. It  was  Christ  and  His  Disciples  at  the  Last 
Supper;  and  had  I  not  known,  Mr.  President,  from 
the  antiquity  of  the  picture,  that  such  a  thing  was  im- 
possible, I  should  have  thought  that  Senator  Dodge 
sat  for  the  portrait  of  Judas  Iscariot." 

At  another  time  Nap.  Broughton,  the  great  lobbyist 


if 


^ 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         155 

of  his  day,  presented  a  bill  to  Hawes  and  urged  him 
to  support  it  in  the  senate,  when  the  following  con- 
versation occurred : 

''Is  this  a  strictly  honest  bill,  Mr.  Broughton?" 

"Yes,  Senator,  else  I  should  not  ask  you  to  support  it." 

"No  httle  thieving  clauses  in  it,  Mr.  Broaghton?' 

"None,  whatever,  Senator." 

"I  am  sorry  for  you,  Mr.  Broughton.  No  honest 
bill  can  pass  this  session.  I  would  advise  you  to  re- 
vise it,  Mr.  Broughton;  put  in  a  few  Uttle  stealing 
clauses,  give  it  to  Senator  Dodge,  and  it  will  pass 
without  a  doubt." 

Lord  Erskine  said,  "lawyers  worked  hard,  lived 
well  and  died  poor."  Horace  Hawes  reversed  this 
rule.  He  worked  hard,  lived  poor  and  died  rich.  At 
his  death  his  will  in  which  he  disinherited  his  wife, 
was  set  aside,  and  the  property  di\ided  between  his 
wife  and  son. 

Michael  Rees,  James  Phelan,  John  Center,  Sam 
Merritt  and  Jack  Hayes  were  among  those  who  made 
millions  from  the  advance  in  real  estate  in  San  Fran- 
cisco and  Oakland. 

Colonel  John  C.  Hayes,  or  as  he  was  more  familiar- 
ly known.  Jack  Hayes,  the  Mexican  war  veteran,  was 
the  first  sheriff  of  San  Francisco. 

Upon  his  retirement  from  pohtical  life  he  bought  a 
Spanish  land  grant,  a  large  portion  of  which  is  com- 
prised within  the  present  city  of  Oakland.  For  many 
years  he  had  constant  litigation  with  those  who  squatted 
upon  this  land.     Some  time  in  1864  or  1865,  all  legal 


156         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

contests  having  been  decided  in  his  favor,  he  finally 
perfected  the  title  to  his  })roperty,  and  the  land  in  the 
interval  had  so  appreciated  in  value  that  he  found 
himself  a  millionaire.  Had  it  been  so  he  could  have 
disposed  of  it  when  he  wished,  the  probabilities  are 
that  he  never  would  have  been  numbered  among  the 
rich  men  of  the  state. 

Colonel  Hayes  was  about  five  feet  eleven  inches  in 
height,  thin  and  spare,  weighing  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds.  He  was  modest  and  retiring  with 
nothing  to  indicate  the  dare-devil  soldier  that  he  was. 
In  private  life  he  was  a  kind,  generous  and  hospitable 
neighbor. 

Hayes  was  a  born  soldier  and  leader  of  men,  but 
indifferent  and  careless  as  to  the  rules  governing  mili- 
tary life.  The  following  anecdote,  which  was  told  to 
me  by  General  Wood,  will  illustrate  this,  so  I  give  it 
here: 

When  the  fight  was  the  thickest  around  the  City  of 
Mexico,  "Padre  Juan,"  with  his  guerrillas,  proved  a 
serious  menance  to  the  invading  army,  lariating  and 
killing  all  stragglers. 

General  Scott  ordered  Hayes,  then  promoted  to 
be  a  colonel  in  the  regular  army,  to  pursue  and  punish 
the  Padre.  Hayes  made  the  expedition  and  after  about 
a  week  or  ten  days  returned  to  camp,  but  made  no 
report  to  his  superior  officer.  General  Scott,  after  a 
few  days,  learned  that  Hayes'  command  was  in  camp, 
and  that  they  had  had  a  brush  with  the  Padre,  so 
Bent  for  Colonel  Hayes. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         157 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  General  Scott  was 
a  veritable  Martinet  in  enforcing  military  discipline. 
After  Hayes  was  seated  in  the  commander's  head- 
quarters, Scott  said: 

"Colonel  Hayes,  I  have  received  no  report  of  your 
expedition  against  the  Padre." 

"I  did  not  think  it  worth  while,"  said  Hayes. 

''Every  officer  of  the  army  is  required  to  make  a 
full  report  of  everything  to  his  superior  officer.  Please 
make  your  report  verbally." 

Hayes  began  by  saying  that  he  struck  the  Padre's 
trail  on  a  certain  day,  followed  it  for  two  days,  and  on 
the  third  day,  while  his  command  was  resting  at  noon 
and  taking  their  "siesta,"  the  old  Padre  came  down 
on  them.  That  the  boys  gathered  themselves  together 
and  whipped  the  Mexicans  off,  killing  quite  a  number 
of  the  Padre's  command.  His  o^vti  loss  being  insig- 
nificant; one  killed  and  three  wounded. 

"Surprised  you,  eh?"  queried  Scott. 

"Yes,  we  were  not  expecting  him." 

"Where  were  your  pickets?" 

"Did  not  have  any." 

"AVhat!  A  colonel  in  the  regular  army  of  the  United 
States  go  into  camp  in  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  country 
and  never  place  a  picket  on  guard?  What  would  you 
do  if  surprised  while  asleep?" 

"Shoot  the  first  man  that  waked  me  up,"  was  the 
cool  reply. 

Scott  said  that  Hayes  was  simply  incorrigible. 


158         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Hayes  never  drilled  his  command;  with  him  it  was 
"Come  on  boys,"  and  they  followed  where  he  led. 

After  the  battle  of  Monterey  in  which  his  gallantry 
was  conspicuous,  a  number  of  young  lieutenants, 
graduates  of  West  Point,  visited  his  camp  to  pay  their 
compliments  to  "Fighting  Jack."  They  found  him 
frying  bacon,  surrounded  by  soldiers,  with  nothing 
to  distinguish  him  from  those  about  him. 

"Where  can  we  find  Colonel  Hayes?"  inquired  the 
spokesman. 

"I  think  you  will  find  him  over  yonder,"  pointing 
to  a  group  of  men  about  a  hundred  yards  away. 

Riding  over  to  the  group  indicated  the  young  men 
made  the  same  inquiry.  To  their  surprise  and  chagrin 
they  were  informed  that  the  man  with  the  frying-pan 
was  the  officer  they  were  in  search  of. 

They  rode  back  to  their  headquarters  without  fur- 
ther effort  to  make  his  acquaintance. 

Here  is  an  anecdote  told  me  by  Hayes  himself : 

Hayes  said  that  on  entering  the  City  of  Mexico 
very  strict  orders  had  been  issued  against  pillaging, 
but  that  he  discovered  one  of  his  men,  John  Garvin, 
coming  out  of  a  church  with  a  gold  crucifix  in  his  hand. 

"I  ordered  him  to  take  it  back,"  said  Hayes  in  the 
relation  to  me,  "the  man  hesitated  and  repUed:  'Now, 
Colonel,  I  have  got  a  wife  and  three  children  back  in 
Texas,  and  this  httle  Jesus  will  do  us  a  power  of  good.' 

"I  reiterated  my  command,  peremptorily,  to  take 
it  back,  and  rode  away,"  continued  Hayes,  "but  I  am 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         159 

satisfied  that  for  the  first  and  perhaps  the  last  time  in 
his  life  John  stuck  to  his  Jesus." 

At  the  outset  of  the  Civil  War  Jefferson  Davis,  who 
knew  Colonel  Hayes'  record,  offered  him  the  command 
of  all  the  cavalry  forces  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  In 
order  to  accept  this  offer  Hayes  tried  to  borrow  $25,000 
to  leave  with  his  wife  and  family,  but  failing  to  do  so, 
remained  in  California.  Which,  as  the  results  proved, 
was  much  better  for  both  himself  and  those  dependent 
upon  him.  He  became  a  very  rich  man  by  remaining 
in  the  Golden  State. 

Not  alone  in  city  property  was  large  fortunes  made 
in  California  in  the  early  days,  but  in  agricultural 
lands  as  well.  A  large  amount  of  land,  particularly 
in  the  southern  comities,  was  covered  by  Spanish  grants, 
and  these  lands  were  sold  at  from  thirty-five  to  fifty 
cents  an  acre.  Many  of  them  now  in  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  covered  with  orange  orchards,  vineyards, 
walnut  and  olive  groves,  are  worth  from  three  hundred 
to  five  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  The  land  laws  of 
the  government  did  not  limit  the  amount  an  individual 
or  a  firm  could  enter,  which  opened  up  a  wide  field 
for  speculators  and  land-grabbers. 

During  the  sixties  when  greenbacks  were  worth 
from  sixt}^  to  seventy  cents  on  the  dollar  and  the  gov- 
ernment price  was  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  in  green- 
backs, the  land  offices  of  California  did  a  thri^^ng  busi- 
ness. 

In  the  northern  counties  of  Sutter,  Yuba,  Butte, 


160         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Tehama  and  Colusa,  which  are  now  the  granary  of  the 
state,  farming  up  to  1860  was  confined  to  the  river 
bottoms.  The  uplands  were  considered  valueless, 
except  for  grazing. 

I  remember  a  trip  I  made  to  Colusa  County  in  1857. 
The  land  seemed  to  be  traversed  in  all  directions  by 
fissures  from  six  to  twenty  feet  deep;  not  arroyos  or 
canyons,  but  open  cracks  in  the  soil.  There  were  no 
trees,  bushes  or  vegetation  of  any  kind.  And  had  any 
one  told  me  that  in  five  years  it  would  all  be  brought 
under  cultivation,  I  should  have  thought  him  crazy. 
But  such  proved  to  be  the  fact. 

Dr.  Glenn,  a  Missourian,  who  made  quite  a  for- 
tune driving  cattle  across  the  plains,  entered  about 
two  townships  of  these  lands  and  introduced  summer 
fallowing;  that  is,  ploughing  deep  in  the  spring  and 
summer  and  seeding  it  in  September  and  October,  so 
as  to  get  the  full  benefit  of  the  winter  rains.  The 
rains  in  California  begin  in  November  and  continue 
until  April.  This  method  proved  successful,  and  these 
uplands  became  the  most  productive  wheat  lands  of 
the  state. 

Glenn  used  to  cultivate  from  forty  to  forty-five 
thousand  acres  annually,  and  his  ranch,  it  is  said, 
produced  yearly,  in  wheat,  barley,  wool,  sheep  and 
cattle  to  the  gross  value  of  one  and  a  quarter  millions 
of  dollars.  He  very  frequently  chartered  vessels  and 
marketed  his  wheat  in  Liverpool. 

It  was  an  inspiring  sight  to  witness  this  immense 
area  being  prepared  for  seeding.    As  far  as  the  eye 


'It  zhust  makes   me  zick,  right  here." — Page  180. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  161 

could  reach  could  be  seen  large  gang-plows,  each  drawn 
by  six  animals,  turning  up  the  soil.  Glenn's  example 
inspired  others  to  go  and  do  likewise,  and  every  one 
took  all  the  land  he  could  get.  A  ranch  of  six  hundred 
and  forty  acres  was  considered  small.  The  main 
part  of  the  farmers  cultivated  from  four  to  ten  thou- 
sand acres  annually,  and  as  wheat  bore  a  good  price 
fortunes  were  thus  accumulated  rapidly. 

Men  borrowed  money  at  from  two  to  three  per  cent, 
a  month  to  invest  in  land  and  grew  rich  by  the  trans- 
action. 

Major  Bidwell  emigrated  to  California  some  time 
prior  to  the  Mexican  War  and  settled  near  what  is  now 
the  town  of  Chico,  in  Butte  County.  He  secured  a 
Spanish  grant  covering  a  large  area  of  fertile  land, 
which  he  cultivated  profitably  up  to  his  death,  which 
occurred  some  time  in  the  early  eighties.  He  founded 
large  industrial  enterprises  near  his  home ;  was  a  public- 
spirited  citizen  and  accumulated  a  large  fortune. 

Mr.  Bidwell  served  one  term  in  congress,  at  the 
outset  of  the  Civil  War. 

Irrigation  was  first  introduced  by  the  Mormons  in 
San  Bernardino  County;  and  was  rapidly  extended 
into  the  San  Joaquin  and  Kern  River  valleys. 

The  waters  of  King,  Kern  and  other  rivers  are  now 
spread  over  the  adjacent  country,  so  that  where  thirty 
years  ago  were  barren  wastes  are  now  productive 
fields. 

Where  now  stands  the  flourishing  city  of  Fresno, 
in  the  heart  of  the  rich  raisin-growing  section  of  the 


1C2  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California    ^ 

state,  in  1870  was  also  a  barren  waste.  When  water 
was  first  spread  on  the  land  it  was  sold  in  lots  of  twenty 
acres  each  for  twenty  dollars  per  acre.  Since  it  has 
been  improved  and  devoted  to  raisin-culture,  this 
land  commands  from  three  hundred  to  five  hundred 
dollars  per  acre. 

In  1870  Haggin  and  Carr  entered  some  three  hundred 
thousand  acres  of  land  in  Kern  County,  near  the  town 
of  Bakersfield.  It  cost  a  large  outlay  of  time  and 
money  to  reclaim  it,  but  now  it  is  all  under  cultiva- 
tion, and  John  B.  Haggin,  who  bought  the  interest 
of  his  partner,  W.  B.  Carr,  is  sole  owner  of  this  princely 
domain. 

The  firm  of  Miller  &  Lux  also  acquired  title  to  a 
large  estate  in  this  section.  Visiting  at  Visalia  once 
upon  a  time,  I  knew  Henry  Miller  to  enter  in  one  day 
six  townships  of  land.  In  1872  I  drove  through  one 
of  their  fields  which  was  enclosed  by  a  wire  fence,  and 
through  which  we  drove  for  fifty  miles. 

Upon  the  death  of  Lux,  some  fifteen  years  ago,  I 
saw  a  statement  that  their  estate  was  valued  at 
$20,000,000,  mostly  in  live  stock  and  lands.  They 
were  wholesale  butchers  of  cattle  in  San  Francisco, 
and  with  Dumphey  and  Hildreth,  for  many  years  en- 
joyed a  monopoly  of  the  business. 

Lux  attended  to  the  butchering  and  selling  in  the 
city.  I  had  only  a  slight  acquaintance  with  him^ 
but  I  knew  Henry  Miller  well.  Both  were  hardwork- 
ing, shrewd  Dutchmen,  with  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  business  in  which  they  were  engaged.    Miller 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  163 

especially  was  one  of  the  most  energetic  men  I  ever 
knew.  He  was  about  five  feet  eight  inches  high  and 
weighed  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  all  bone 
and  muscle,  with  no  surplus  flesh,  and  endowed  with 
unlimited  powers  of  endurance.  Miller  attended  to 
the  ranches,  breeding  of  stock,  buying  of  the  cattle 
and  driving  them  to  market.  He  had  the  reputation 
of  being  the  best  buyer  in  the  state.  Prompt  and 
decisive,  he  would  examine  a  lot  of  cattle,  make  an 
offer  and  not  vary  from  it.  I  never  heard  of  his  pay- 
ing too  much  for  his  cattle  but  once.  The  story  was 
told  me  by  Barton,  of  Santa  Barbara,  and  here  it  is: 

The  firm  of  Miller  &  Lux  had  not  long  been  estab- 
lished, and  it  was  just  after  the  Easter  holidays.  Bar- 
ton had  a  herd  of  cattle  for  sale,  and  was  the  first  to 
approach  San  Francisco.  He  had  a  drove  of  three 
hundred  and  fifty  head,  and  on  a  certain  day  met 
Miller  at  Gilroy,  who  inquired  of  Barton  when  and 
where  the  cattle  he  had  for  sale  could  be  seen. 

''They  are  down  the  road  about  five  miles  from 
here,"  said  Barton. 

"Veil,"  said  Miller,  "you  go  ahead,  round  up  your 
cattle;  I  vill  be  dere  in  haf  an  hour." 

Barton  proceeded  down  the  road  and  met  his  cattle. 
He  had  always  observed  that  animals  looked  larger 
on  top  of  the  hill,  looking  up  at  them  than  when  stand- 
ing above  and  looking  down;  it  occurred  to  him  to  take 
advantage  of  this  fact  to  make  his  cattle  appear  as 
well  as  possible  in  making  the  trade  with  Miller.  See- 
ing a  little  knoll  near  by,  he  had  his  vaqueros  drive 


164         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

the  herd  upon  it  ready  for  inspection.  Miller  came, 
looked  the  bunch  over  and  inquired  the  price. 

"Forty  dollars  a  head,"  said  Barton. 

"I  von't  gif  it;  I  gives  you  thirty-tree  tollars.  You 
delifer  dem  at  Redwood  City,"  was  Miller's  decision. 

Barton  said  he  knew  of  three  other  herds  coming 
up  behind  him;  and  also  that  Miller  would  never  ad- 
vance his  offer,  so  accepted  it  and  Miller  said: 

"How  much  money  you  want  now?  I  gif  you  five 
tousand  dollar,  and  de  balance  ven  der  cattle  are 
delifered." 

"No,"  said  Barton,  "I  only  want  enough  to  pay 
my  men  now;  give  me  five  hundred  dollars  and  I  will 
get  the  balance  when  I  come  to  the  city." 

"All  right,"  agreed  Miller,  handing  him  a  check  for 
the  amount  stated. 

About  two  weeks  later  Barton  called  at  the  office 
of  the  firm  in  San  Francisco  to  get  the  money  coming 
to  him.  After  settlement  of  the  business.  Miller  said 
to  him: 

"Barton,  clem  cattle  dies  de  lightest,  to  look  so  big 
of  any  steers  I  effer  saw.     Vat  is  de  matter  mit  'em?" 

Laughingly  Barton  replied: 

"If  you  will  treat  to  wine.  Miller,  I  will  tell  you." 

"I  do  it,"  said  Miller. 

The  wine  was  produced,  and  as  they  passed  the  social 
cup.  Barton  proceeded  to  explain  why  the  cattle  "died 
so  light." 

"You  remember,  Miller,  when  you  bought  my  cattle 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         165 

the  drove  was  standing  on  a  hill,  and  you  were  look- 
ing up," 

"Yes,  yes!  Dot's  it,  dot's  it!  I  puys  no  more  cattle 
on  de  hill-tops!"  concluded  the  sagacious  man.  And 
Barton  seemed  to  think  that  Miller  always  kept  his 
vow. 

When  I  first  knew  Miller  it  was  not  unusual  for  him 
to  ride  seventy  or  eighty  miles  a  day.  When,  on  ac- 
count of  high  water,  his  cattle  would  bog  down,  no 
cowboy  would  work  harder  to  rescue  them  than  did 
he.  At  every  ranch  he  had  a  foreman,  and  if  Miller 
ever  found  a  pelt  or  skin,  or  anything  else  of  minutest 
value,  allowed  to  go  to  waste,  he  would  raise  a  storm 
his  foreman  would  not  soon  forget.  He  would  go 
from  one  ranch  to  another,  borrowing  from  one  to 
pay  up  another,  making  no  memoranda,  keeping  no 
books,  but  carrying  in  his  memory  every  transaction 
of  the  trip  perfectly,  and  give  the  account  accurately 
to  his  book-keeper  upon  returning  to  his  office  in  the 
city.  These  trips  frequently  extended  over  thirty 
days.  Monthly  statements  were  sent  to  each  foreman, 
and  they  were  always  found  to  be  perfectly  correct. 

None  knew  better  than  Miller  the  value  of  a  reliable, 
efficient  man,  and  he  always  rewarded  such.  Many 
men  now  financially  independent  owe  their  start  in 
life  to  him. 

Once,  on  one  of  his  Kern  County  ranches  he  had  a 
foreman  with  whom  he  quarreled.     The  foreman  said: 

"If  it  were  not  that  you  are  a  smaller  man  than  I,  I 
would  beat  you  half  to  death." 


166         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

At  this  Miller  threw  off  his  coat  and  went  for  the 
man.  The  foreman  succeeded  in  giving  him  a  good 
trouncing,  then  demanded  a  settlement,  which  was 
made.  That  all  over  with  Miller  apologized  and  hired 
the  man  over  again,  with  an  advance  in  wages.  He 
knew  he  had  a  good  man. 

So  large  were  the  possessions  of  this  firm  of  Miller  & 
Lux,  it  was  said  they  could  drive  their  cattle  from 
Los  Angeles  County  to  San  Francisco,  camping  each 
night  on  their  own  land. 

I  remember  meeting  Miller  once  at  Firebaugh's 
Ferry  on  the  San  Joaquin  River,  when  he  was  buying 
so  much  land.  It  was  at  breakfast,  and  a  man  called 
Hog  Johnson  began  to  criticise  Miller's  purchases, 
when  Miller  turned  to  him  and  said: 

"Hog,  you  knows  dere  iss  more  peoples  bom  into  de 
vorld  effery  year  dan  dies  out  of  it,  don't  you?" 

"Yes,"  admitted  Hog. 

"Veil,  dey  all  haf  to  lif  off  de  land,  and  dere  iss  no 
more  land  borned  effery  year." 

A  wise  maxim,  which  if  I  had  followed  in  earl}''  life 
in  California,  I  might  now  be  a  millionaire  instead  of 
having  spent  most  of  my  days  in  running  through 
drifts,  tunnels  and  shafts.  Large  fortunes  were  made 
by  the  purchase  of  Spanish  land  grants  for  a  mere 
pittance  compared  with  the  great  value  to  which  they 
subsequently   attained. 

Colonel  W.  W.  Hollister,  Flint  &  Bixby,  Lieutenant 
Edward  F.  Beale,  James  Irvine  and  the  Murphys  of 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  167 

San  Jose,  and  many  others  amassed  millions  of  dollars 
in  this  way. 

Flint  &  Bixby,  and  James  Irvine,  in  1857,  or  about 
that  time,  bought  a  grant  of  land  in  Los  Angeles  County 
containing  110,000  acres,  at  ten  cents  an  acre,  which 
gave  them  large  returns  as  a  sheep  ranch,  and  subse- 
quently, about  1874,  James  Irvine  bought  out  his 
partners.  At  his  death,  in  1887,  it  was  valued  at  two 
and  a  quarter  millions.  In  1873  Lucky  Baldwin 
bought  from  Ne\\Tnark  &  Co.  the  Santa  Anita  ranch 
in  the  same  county,  for  $150,000.  He  holds  it  to-day, 
and  it  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  places  in  southern 
California. 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  illustrations  of 
the  large  fortunes  acquired  by  the  advancement  of 
the  price  of  land  in  the  state. 

The  holding  of  great  areas  of  land  in  one  body  for 
some  time  retarded  the  growth  of  California,  but  of 
late  years  the  process  of  subdivision  has  been  going 
steadily  forward.  Where  once  the  land  was  devoted 
to  grazing,  it  is  now  appropriated  by  agriculturists 
and  horticulturists,  who  are  enriching  commerce  with 
their  fruit  and  grain,  building  up  toA\Tis  and  cities, 
and  making  homes  for  a  great  and  ever-increasing 
population. 

No  state  in  the  L'nion  presents  greater  and  more 
favorable  opportunities  to  the  cultivator  of  the  soil 
than  does  California.  While  the  day  is  passed  when 
he  may  become  a  millionaire  by  the  investment  of  a 
few  thousands  in  land,  yet  he  can  earn  enough  to  keep 


168  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

his  family  in  affluence,  and  have  a  competency  for 
his  declining  years,  and  with  one-half  of  the  labor 
necessary  to  make  a  bare  living  in  many  of  the  Eastern 
states. 

These  are  the  men  to  give  strength  and  stability  to 
a  state.  The  tiller  of  the  soil  has  his  home  and  is  de- 
pendent on  God  and  his  own  exertions  alone  for  sup- 
port. 

The  capitalist  can  clip  the  coupons  from  his  bonds 
in  any  place  or  in  any  land,  but  the  cultivator  of  his 
acres  is  as  much  a  part  of  the  land  as  the  eternal  hills 
that  surround  him.  Every  tree  has  its  memory,  every 
field  its  history  to  endear  it  to  his  heart.  When  danger 
threatens  the  country,  his  sons  are  the  first  and  fore- 
most in  the  defence  of  state  and  home,  to  defy  death 
in  the  wild  havoc  of  war. 

Intelligent  selfishness  rules  the  world.  But  often 
those  who  in  quest  of  gold  explore  new  lands,  build 
better  than  they  dream  of.     So  it  was  with  those  who: 

In  the  days  of  old, 

In  days  of  gold, 

In  the  days  of  "Forty-nine." 

Were  the  pioneers  of  California.  Their  enterprise, 
their  intelligence  and  their  industry  laid  broad  and 
deep  the  foundations  of  the  empire  of  the  Pacific  Slope. 

Not  California  alone,  but  Nevada,  Idaho  and  Arizona 
as  well. 

They  promoted  the  imperial  city  of  San  Francisco, 
where  the  argosies  of  the  world,  passing  her  Golden 


The  Gold  PIunters  or  Califoilma  169 

Gate,  stop  to  pay  tribute  to  her  commercial  suprem- 
acy. 

And  best  of  all,  bequeathed  to  those  who  came  after 
them  civic  virtues  so  great  that  to  be  a  Californian,  in 
the  truest  sense  is  to  be  a  broad-minded,  liberal,  brave 
and  generous  man.  One  whose  word  is  his  bond, 
whose  honesty  is  unquestioned  and  whose  patriotism 
is  intensely  sublime. 


CHAPTER  XI 

As  heretofore  stated,  placer  mining  in  California 
was  practically  exhausted  in  1857.  After  this,  atten- 
tion was  more  particularly  directed  to  gravel  mining. 
That  is  to  the  uncovering  of  the  "Old  River  Beds"  of 
the  state.     These  were  called  "Blue  Gravel  Diggings." 

It  was  not  until  the  uncovering  of  the  Comstock  Lode, 
which  finally  produced  over  $600,000,000,  that  any 
great  attention  was  directed  to  quartz  mining.  This 
discovery  occurred  in  1859,  and  was  made  by  a  man 
named  Comstock,  an  old  prospector.  Comstock  sold 
his  location  for  a  few  thousand  dollars  and  spent  the 
money  royally  while  it  lasted. 

This  discovery,  where  ore  was  found  near  the  surface 
so  rich  in  value,  it  ranged  from  $300  to  $500  per  ton, 
immediately  drew  to  Virginia  City,  in  the  Territory  of 
Washoe,  a  large  influx  of  miners.  The  vein  or  ledge 
in  the  Comstock  was  continuous  for  several  miles. 

I  first  visited  Virginia  City  in  1860.  At  that  time 
there  were  few  houses  but  a  great  many  tents.  Mining 
claims  were  located  by  feet  and  sold  by  feet.  We  were 
all  ignorant  of  vein  mining.  At  that  time  there  were 
no  technical  mining  schools  in  America  where  a  miner 
could  graduate.  About  all  the  technical  knowledge 
that  could  be  obtained  on  such  lines,  at  that  time,  was 
in   a   mining    school    in    Freiberg,    Germany.     While 

170 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  171 

Freiberg  graduated  fine  chemists  and  assayers,  they 
were  ignorant  concerning  mineral  veins  in  the  western 
mining  world  as  the  rest  of  us. 

In  the  year  1860-Gl  B.  Davidson  &  Co.,  the  San 
Francisco  agents  of  the  Rothschilds  secured  an  option 
upon  the  "Mexican  Mine,"  at  Gold  Hill  on  the  Corn- 
stock.  The  Rothschilds  sent  the  best  experts  from 
Europe,  graduates  of  Freiberg,  to  examine  the  ledge. 
These  experts  reported  it  worthless,  because  it  was  a 
contact  vein.  Mr.  Davidson  thereupon  surrendered 
the  option  to  the  owners,  one  of  whom  expressed  his 
gratification  at  getting  it  back. 

"For,"  said  he,  "we  can  get  three  times  the  amount 
your  option  calls  for." 

"I  am  glad  of  it,  boys,"  said  Davidson,  "but  the 
Rothschilds  do  not  speculate,  they  invest." 

In  less  than  five  years  from  that  time  the  Roths- 
childs, like  all  the  speculative  world,  were  "investing" 
in  Comstock. 

The  old  text-books  of  Freiberg  taught  that  while 
mineral  might  appear  in  contact  veins,  mines  were 
never  permanent  except  in  fissure  veins.  They  also 
taught  that  carbonate  ore  carrying  gold  and  silver 
was  never  found  except  in  specimen  form.  Both  fal- 
lacies have  long  since  been  exploded  by  the  develop- 
ment of  the  mineral  veins  and  irregular  deposits  of 
the  West. 

First  among  the  Comstock  group  to  yield  large  re- 
turns was  the  "Ophir  Mine."  How  many  lineal  feet 
there  were  in  this  claim,  or  for  that  matter,  in  any  of 


172         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

them,  I  do  not  know,  but  it  sold  for  $5,000  a  foot  in 
1860-61,  and  was  paying  about  $500  per  foot  monthly 
in  dividends. 

The  "Gould  and  Curry"  claim  was  also  a  large  bonanza. 
Ore  was  found  there  near  the  surface.  Not  an  assess- 
ment was  levied.     This  stock  rose  to  $7,500  per  foot. 

Fortunes  were  made  rapidly. 

\'irginia  City  became  at  once  the  theater  of  great 
activity.  Around  the  town  were  hundreds  of  pros- 
pectors. Every  day  men  would  come  into  camp  with 
their  pockets  full  of  rocks,  claiming  to  have  discovered 
a  rich  mine. 

The  Comstock  claim  was  located  to  the  extent  of 
six  or  seven  miles  in  length.  Much  rich  ore  was  found. 
The  important  question  was  how  to  reduce  the  ore. 
Most  of  the  ore  was  reduced  by  the  old  "patios"  system, 
which  came  to  us  from  Mexico. 

Necessity,  ever  the  "mother  of  invention,"  soon 
discovered  and  perfected  the  steam  silver-reduction 
mills,  and  many  custom  mills  were  put  up.  At  first 
they  charged  $100  per  ton  for  reducing  the  ores,  guar- 
anteeing to  return  60  per  cent  of  its  assay  value.  In 
1862  the  "Gould  and  Curry"  built  a  very  fine  mill. 

Everything  was  conducted  on  the  most  gigantic  and 
extravagant  scale.  An  Eastern  man  of  that  day, 
accustomed  to  accumulate  by  pennies,  would  have 
been  astounded  at  the  wasteful  expenditure  on  every 
side. 

Charlie  Strong,  who  had  failed  in  the  stationery 
business  in  San  Francisco,  was  installed  as  superintend- 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  173 

ent  of  the  "Gould  and  Curry,"  because  he  was  "a 
good  fellow,"  and  received  a  salary  of  $1,000  per  month, 
and  $1,000  to  be  used  in  entertaining.  When  the 
stock  was  selling  for  $1,000  a  foot,  Michael  Rees,  of 
San  Francisco,  came  up  to  inspect  the  mine,  in  which 
he  was  part  owner.  Seeing  a  large  supply  of  cham- 
pagne being  unloaded  at  the  superintendent's  door, 
and  not  approving  of  that  method  of  rmining  a  mine, 
he  returned  to  San  Francisco  and  sold  out  his  stock 
at  $12,000  a  foot.  In  a  very  short  time  he  bought  it 
back,  paying  $2,200  a  foot. 

John  0.  Earle,  afterwards  one  of  San  Francisco's 
millionaires  borrowed  $5,000  and  invested  it  in  this 
mine.  He  realized  from  the  same  an  independent 
fortune,  and  had  sense  enough  to  invest  it  in  San 
Francisco  real  estate  and  thereafter  let  stock  gambling 
on  Pine  Street  alone.  A.  B.  McCreary,  a  brother-in- 
law  to  Judge  Stephen  J.  Field,  also  bought  stock  in 
this  mine,  and  received  his  dividends  until  the  point 
was  reached  when  he  realized  that  the  mine  was  worked 
out.  Then  he  sprang  aboard  a  steamer  bound  for 
New  York,  where  he  sold  his  stock  at  about  $7,000 
a   foot. 

He  invested  these  proceeds  in  San  Francisco  prop- 
erty, married,  and,  as  far  as  I  know,  lived  and  died 
a  rich  man. 

A  rugged  specimen  of  the  "wild  and  woolly  West" 
was  Sandy  Bowers.  He  could  hardly  read  or  write. 
He  made  a  large  fortune  on  the  Comstock,  and  like 
many  others,  built  himself  a  fine  residence,  married, 


174         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

spent  his  money  lavishly,  was  generous  to  a  fault, 
and  died  very  poor. 

Shortly  after  the  Conistock  discovery  a  mining 
stock  exchange  was  organized  in  San  Francisco,  with 
branches  in  Virginia  City  and  at  other  points. 

Speculation  in  all  the  Comstock  schemes  ran  up 
to  fever  heat.  The  whole  gambling  world  invested 
in  them,  and  San  Francisco  banks  accepted  them  as 
security.  There  were  not  enough  feet  to  go  around, 
so  share  companies  were  organized. 

Fortunes  were  made  and  lost  in  a  day  upon  the 
exchange.  Servant  girls,  school  teachers,  clerks,  bar- 
tenders— everybody  was  in  the  whirlpool  of  chance 
in  mining  speculations. 

The  late  John  W.  Mackay  first  appeared  on  the 
Comstock  as  a  day  laborer. 

At  one  time  "Jimmie"  Fair  occupied  the  same  hum- 
ble position. 

A  little  saloon  was  kept  on  Washington  Street,  San 
Francisco,  where  men  of  all  kinds  mingled  to  "take  a 
drink."  Here  many  a  plebian  treated  with  the  future 
resident  of  "I^ob  Hill."  Flood  &  O'Brien,  the  men 
who  kept  this  little  saloon  made  big  money  there. 

In  1874  was  uncovered  the  largest  bonanza  ever  found 
upon  the  ledge  in  the  "Consolidated  Virginia"  and  the 
"California,"  at  a  depth  of  about  1,200  feet.  From 
these  two  mines  there  was  extracted  $200,000,000.  The 
dividends  were  nearly  $80,000,000. 

A  picturesque  and  strong  figure  was  W.  C.  Ralston, 
who  came  to  San  Francisco  about  the  time  of  the  dis- 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         175 

covery  of  the  Comstock.  He  had  been  a  banker  in 
connection  with  Commodore  Garrison  and  Captain  Fretz, 
on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  He  founded  a  bank  in 
San  Francisco  in  connection  with  Joseph  A.  Donahue 
and  Eugene  Kelly,  under  the  firm  name  of  Donahue, 
Ralston  &  Co.  He  remained  with  this  bank  but  a 
short  time  when  he  started  the  Bank  of  California. 

D.  0.  Mills,  now  of  New  York,  was  formerly  a  banker 
in  Sacramento,  and  joined  Ralston.  It  was  said  that 
Mill's  capital  at  the  time  was  about  $100,000.  But 
such  capitalists  as  Haggin  &  Tevis,  Nick  Luning, 
Michael  Rees,  John  0.  Earle  and  others  united  with 
them. 

To  the  best  of  my  recollection  this  was  in  1865. 
Five  million  dollars  was  the  capital  of  the  bank,  Will- 
iam Sharon  was  practically  bankrupt  at  the  time  but 
Ralston  made  him  agent  of  the  bank  at  Virginia  City. 
Ralston,  it  is  said,  selected  Sharon  because  he  was  a 
good  poker  player.  Some  of  the  board  of  directors 
objected  to  Sharon  because  he  played  poker — when 
Ralston  inquired  if  he  played  it  well.  The  reply  was 
that  no  one  on  the  coast  could  play  better. 

"Then,"  said  Ralston,  "he  is  the  very  man  we  want." 

Ralston  and  Sharon  made  a  great  deal  of  money 
out  of  the  Belcher  Mine,  and  incidentally  many  of  their 
friends  shared  their  good  fortune.  Out  of  their  divi- 
dends fine  hotels  were  erected.  The  Palace  Hotel 
stands  to-day  a  monument  to  the  enterprise  of  Ralston. 
A  watch  factory  was  started  and  carriage  works  were 
set  in  motion.     The  California  Theater  was  built  and 


176         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Ralston  put  in  and  backed,  to  an  unlimited  extent, 
the  late  John  McCullough,  who  brought  to  the  Coast 
the  best  available  theatrical  material  the  English 
speaking  people  could  produce. 

Lawrence  Barrett,  Edwin  Adams, — a  great  actor — 
the  universally  beloved  Thomas  Keene,  Robert  Bate- 
man,  Bella  Pateman,  Adelaide  Neilson,  John  E.  Owens, 
John  T.  Raymond,  Edwin  Booth,  Mrs.  Judah,  Mes- 
tayer,  Emily  Melville  and  many  others  of  note  were 
members  of  that  famous  stock  company. 

Ralston  was  a  broad-minded  man,  intensely  devoted 
to  San  Francisco,  the  city  of  his  adoption. 

Just  before  this  time  the  overland  stage  line  had 
been  established.  Telegraphic  communication  between 
San  Francisco  and  New  York  had  also  been  accom- 
plished. 

Daily  quotations  of  the  stock  of  the  leading  mines 
on  the  Comstock  were  sent  over  the  wires  to  all  finan- 
cial points  in  the  world.  The  monthly  dividends  in 
1863-64-65  were  very  large;  and  under  the  peculiar 
California  system  of  assessing  mining  stocks  there  was 
no  lack  of  money  for  the  development  of  any  mining 
claim. 

Washoe  Territory,  under  the  name  of  Nevada,  was 
admitted  to  the  Union  and  all  her  legislation  was 
favorable  to  the  mining  interests. 

The  entire  Pacific  Coast  felt  the  new  impetus  given 
by  mining. 

The  prospectors  with  their  burros  started  on  their 
tours  of  discovery  more  elated  and  hopeful  than  ever, 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  177 

and  many  new  mining  districts  were  opened  up.  Not 
only  in  Nevada,  but  in  Utah,  Idaho,  Montana,  Arizona 
and  Old  Mexico, 

San  Francisco  flourished  as  a  great  port  of  entry  for 
the  Pacific  Coast.  Facilities  for  shipping  increased  and 
rapidly  multiplied. 

The  steam  paddy — a  huge  shovel  operated  by  steam 
— was  used  to  level  the  sand-hills  and  extend  the  area 
of  business  streets  along  the  water  front. 

California  held  to  the  gold  standard. 

All  contracts  were  made  payable  in  gold,  which 
gave  the  importers  a  distinct  advantage  over  any  other 
city  in  the  Union.  Gold  appreciating,  as  it  rapidly 
did,  from  1861  to  1864,  gave  the  merchants  of  San  Fran- 
cisco an  opportunity  to  buy  their  supplies  on  credit  of 
from  four  to  five  or  six  months.  They  sold  their  gold 
at  a  premium  that  really  amounted  to  a  discount  of 
from  20  to  30  per  cent  upon  the  original  purchase 
price  of  the  merchandise. 

Under  the  combined  influence  of  the  war  and  the 
great  mining  activity  put  in  motion  by  the  Comstock, 
the  population  of  California  largely  and  rapidly  in- 
creased. Again  a  flood  of  speculation  came  from  all 
parts  of  the  world. 

Brokers  and  bankers  in  London,  Paris,  Berlin,  as 
well  as  in  New  York  and  all  eastern  centers  had  their 
agents  and  representatives  in  San  Francisco.  The 
wheel  of  Monte  Carlo  was  as  nothing  compared  with 
the  game  on  Pine  Street  at  this  tim6.  Everything 
was  traveling  at   white  heat   throughout   the   Pacific 


178         The  Gold  Hunters  of  CiU^iroRNiA 

Coast.  New  mines  were  opened  every  day.  Holes  in 
the  ground  in  newly  discovered  districts  were  sold 
at  what  would  now  seem  fabulous  prices.  Some  not 
over  ten  feet  would  bring  from  $10,000  to  $50,000. 
All  tricks  of  the  trade  in  mine  dealing  and  mining  specu- 
lating were  employed  to  capture  the  eager,  infatuated 
hunters  for  rapidly  made  fortunes.  One  among  many 
instances  I  recall ;  that  of  a  broker  who  was  floating  a 
wildcat  scheme: 

He  proposed  to  a  teacher  in  the  Lincoln  school  that 
if  she  would  invest  $500  he  would  guarantee  her  $1,000 
profit  in  four  months;  but  told  her  she  must  not  men- 
tion the  matter  to  any  one.  Of  course,  as  he  expected, 
she  carried  the  news  to  her  associated  teachers  as  quickly 
as  possible. 

The  broker  found  a  ready  market  for  his  stock  not 
only  among  the  teachers  but  the  parents  of  many  of 
the  pupils.  He  made  good  his  guarantee,  but  how 
much  the  other  investors  lost  has  never  been  ascertained. 

About  the  year  1867  the  dividends  of  the  Comstock 
suffered  a  heavy  decline.  There  was  some  doubt  as 
to  its  permanency.  The  Bank  of  California  with 
Ralston  at  its  head  had  been  a  great  factor  in  this  devel- 
opment. From  a  conservative  standpoint  Ralston  was 
not  a  banker  but  a  bold,  fearless  operator;  ready  at 
all  times  to  back  his  judgment  on  any  and  every  enter- 
prise that  interested  him.  He  and  Sharon  held  con- 
trol of  the  "Belcher"  mine  on  the  Comstock.  Alvinsa 
Hayward  controlled  the  "  Crown  Point."  Hay  ward  had 
owned  the  Lincoln  gold  mine  in  Amador  County,  Cali- 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  179 

fornia.  At  one  time  he  found  his  money  gone  and  credit 
exhausted,  or  so  the  story  goes.  He  appealed  to  an 
old  sporting  friend  who  gave  him  $5,000  which  enabled 
him  to  exploit  his  mine  and  gradually  it  became  a  big 
paying  property.  He  sold  it  out  in  1864  for  $1,000,000 
and  entered  the  list  of  operators  on  the  Comstock.  Hife 
sporting  friend  never  saw  a  poor  day  after  that.  Hay- 
ward  not  only  returned  the  money  he  borrowed,  but 
thousands  besides. 

In  1867  the  Crown  Point  stock  was  selling  at  about 
$1.75  a  share.  That  year  Hayward's  brother-in-law, 
John  P.  Jones,  was  defeated  for  lieutenant  governor  of 
California,  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  Hayward 
made  him  superintendent  of  the  Crown  Point  and 
said  he  would  sink  the  mine  one  or  two  hundred 
feet  deeper,  then,  if  he  found  nothing  would  abandon 
it. 

At  about  900  feet  he  struck  what  was  known  as  the 
"Crown  Point  Bonanza,"  which  extended  into  the 
Belcher.  There  never  was  an  assessment  levied  on 
the  Cro\^^l  Point,  They  increased  the  shares  of  the 
company  18  to  1.  The  ''Belcher"  was  selling  at  $2  a 
share,  and  after  this  body  of  ore  was  struck  on  the 
"CrowTi  Point,"  they  having  in  the  meantime  leaded 
assessments  to  the  extent  of  $11  a  share,  the  Belcher 
shares  were  increase  24  for  1.  This  watered  stock  in 
Crown  Point  sold  at  about  $300  a  share,  and  in  the 
Belcher  about  $250,  making  the  original  shares  of  the 
mines  worth  from  $5,000  to  $6,000  each  and  which  had 
been  formerly  sold  at  $1.75  to  $2. 


180         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

I  had  a  Jewish  friend  who  had  500  shares  in  these 
mines.  He  sold  them  at  an  advance  of  fifty  cents  a 
share,  thinking  he  was  making  good  money  by  the 
trade.  When  a  year  afterwards  the  dividends  on  this 
watered  stock  amounted  to  $50  a  share,  which  would 
have  made  his  dividends  $25,000,  monthly,  had  he  held 
his  stock;  and  the  market  value  of  the  v.hole,  somewhere 
in  the  neighborhood  of  $3,000,000,  the  heart-broken 
fellow  would  come  to  me,  with  his  hands  pressing  his 
stomach,  and  say: 

"Tom,  Tom!  If  I  had  only  held  on  to  my  Crown 
Point  and  my  Belcher,  vat  millions  vould  I  not  haf. 
Vcn  I  tinks  off  it,  it  zhust  maks  me  zick  right  here." 

I  sympathized  with  the  poor  man;  because  I  have  seen 
many  a  speculator  feel  "zick  right  here" — meaning 
at  heart — time  and  time  again. 

The  old  saying  "a  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile"  is  not 
always  consoling. 

Cipher  codes  in  telegraphy  were  first  introduced  in 
1863,  upon  the  great  Comstock  mine  in  Virginia  City, 
in  this  wise: 

It  was  rumored  around  the  city  that  a  great  bonanza 
was  about  to  be  struck,  I  think  in  the  "Hale  and  Nor- 
cross"  mine.  The  superintendent  was  expected  to 
make  a  report  by  telegraph  on  a  certain  evening. 

An  agent  and  assistant  of  a  leading  San  Francisco 
broker  who  was  himself  a  telegraph  operator,  had  it 
arranged  with  his  employer  that  when  he  found  that 
such  a  report  was  to  be  made  he  would  go  to  Reno, 
outside  of  Virginia  City — then,  as  now,  a  station  on 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         181 

the  Central  Pacific — where  he  would  listen  and  read 
the  ticking  of  the  message  passing  over  the  line.  He 
had  it  understood  with  his  partner,  that  if  he  sent 
to  San  Francisco  a  dispatch  reading: 

"I  have  sold  my  team/'  his  partner  should  lose  no 
time  in  buying  up  all  the  stock  he  could  get  his  fingers 
on. 

It  was  a  cold,  bleak  night  when  he  went  to  Reno; 
snowing  and  sleeting  with  the  wind  blowing  at  the  rate 
of  sixty  miles  an  hour  as  he  drew  up  at  the  station. 
Housing  his  animals  he  asked  the  station  operator 
for  permission  to  sit  by  the  stove  and  warm  himself. 
The  permission  was  given  and  he  settled  himself  com- 
fortably. 

In  a  short  time  the  instrument  began  ticking  with  a 
message  passing  over  the  line;  and  he  heard  the  full 
report  of  rich  ore  haxing  been  imcovered  that  day. 

Soon  afterward  he  handed  the  operator  a  message 
which  he  wished  sent,  and  which  read: 

"I  have  sold  my  team,"  by  which  his  partner  was 
apprised  of  the  valuable  discovery  at  an  early  hour 
which  gave  him  the  advantage  of  his  more  tardy  fellow- 
speculators. 

At  that  time  a  large  amount  of  business  was  done  on 
the  streets  in  San  Francisco,  from  seven  to  ten  A.  M., 
before  the  opening  of  the  Board.  So  this  broker  had 
ample  opportunity,  that  morning,  before  the  Board 
convened,  to  secure  a  large  block  of  stock,  which  he 
did  without  losing  a  moment's  time;  and  by  ten  o'clock 
the  price  had  advanced  100  per  cent  in  price. 


182         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

To  prevent  recurrences  like  this,  telegraph  cipher 
codes  were  brought  into  use. 

The  wagon  road  through  Henness'  Pass  by  way  of 
Placerville  was  opened  in  1861.  A  line  of  stages  for 
passengers  was  placed  on  this  road,  and  all  supplies 
required  in  the  mining  camps  of  Nevada  were  trans- 
ported in  "prairie  schooners" — big  wagons  mth  twelve 
to  sixteen  mules  to  each  wagon.  Even  this  was  an 
improvement  over  walking  or  traveling  on  the  slow, 
little  pack-mules,  used  previously.  Few  of  this  time 
and  generation  can  fully  understand  and  appreciate 
the  great  discomforts  of  travel  undergone  forty  or 
fifty  years  ago,  by  those  who  blazed  the  trail  to  the 
far  and  golden  West.  Tiliere  then  trod  the  lone  pros- 
pector over  rough,  mountainous  road,  now  runs  the 
polished  railroad  trains,  carrying  with  them  every 
comfort  and  convenience  the  traveller  could  desire. 
Taking  him  over  a  distance  in  one  day  that  would  have 
required  the  early  settler  weeks  of  weary  travel  to 
traverse,  and  surrounded  by  many  dangers  from  ex- 
posure to  cold,  savages  and  wild  beasts. 

These  prospectors  were  the  pioneers  of  civilization. 

Along  the  path  they  made,  soon  follovv^ed  first  stages, 
now  railroads. 

The  young  men  of  to-day  would  consider  it  quite  a 
hardship  to  travel  in  a  stage  twenty-four  hours  with- 
out sleep;  but  to  those  of  earlier  times,  to  be  able  to 
get  passage  at  all  on  a  stage,  jolting  along  over  new, 
unused  roads,  for  perhaps  five  or  six  days  and   nights 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  183 

at  a  stretch,  were  considered  quite  comfortable  ac- 
commodations, indeed. 

Up  to  1866  all  commimication  was  by  stage  between 
Marysville,  Stockton  and  Sacramento,  and  the  interior 
mining  camps.  At  least  twenty  coaches  a  day  left 
Marysville  for  the  mines.  Some  of  these  Concord 
coaches  carried  thirty  passengers;  and  were  drawn  by 
six  horses. 

From  Sacramento  the  stage  travel  was  even  greater. 
The  drivers  were  paid  at  first  from  $100  to  $150  per 
month.  There  was  much  rivalry  among  the  drivers  as 
to  which  was  the  most  expert  at  the  business.  Indeed 
it  required  a  cool  head  and  a  steady  hand  to  handle 
six  horses  on  the  rough,  sometimes  dangerous  mountain 
roads.  But  the  driver's  sole  care  was  the  management 
of  his  horses.  At  every  station  where  the  horses  were 
changed  a  hostler  unhitched  the  tired  team  and  replaced 
it  with  fresh  animals.  After  delivering  his  passengers 
at  the  end  of  his  journey,  the  driver  would  take  his 
team  to  the  company  barn,  when  his  part  of  the  work 
was  finished,  for  that  trip. 

Among  those  hardy  drivers,  strange  to  say,  was  once 
a  woman;  as  good  a  driver  as  could  be  found.  Dis- 
guised in  male  attire,  she  drove  a  stage  for  twenty 
years,  from  Knight's  Ferry  to  Stockton,  without  any 
one  suspecting  her  sex. 

About  1870  I  made  the  trip  with  her.  She  was 
quite  tall,  broad  shouldered  and  compactly  built.  Her 
face  was  much  bronzed  from  exposure  and  she  spoke 


184         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

in  rather  a  masculine,  falsetto  voice.  She  was  an  ex- 
pert driver  and  handled  her  four  horses  with  perfect 
ease,  not  excelled  by  any  of  the  men.  At  that  time 
she  had  established  a  reputation  for  coolness  and 
bravery  that  many  a  man,  thirsting  for  notoriety  might 
have  envied. 

Once,  during  a  time  of  extreme  high  water  in  the 
Tuolumne  River,  when  she  reached  its  banks,  found 
the  river  greatly  swollen  and  essayed  to  cross.  She 
could  feel  the  trembling  of  the  bridge  beneath  the 
horses'  feet;  while  below  was  the  rush  and  whirl  of  angry 
waters.  Instantly  her  resolution  was  taken,  and  with- 
out hesitation  she  sharply  plied  the  lash  to  her  faithful 
animals,  who  sped  forward  with  a  bound  only  reaching 
the  other  shore  as  the  bridge  was  swept  away,  and 
narrowly  escaping  death  in  the  surging  flood. 

At  another  time  this  brave  creature  was  stopped  by 
highwaymen,  who  demanded  the  express  box  she  car- 
ried. At  the  points  of  levelled  guns,  deliberately  she 
threw  the  box  out,  coolly  remarking: 

"I  was  not  thinking  of  this,  but  the  next  time  you 
attempt  to  rob  me  I  shall  be  fixed  for  you." 

She  whipped  up  her  horses  and  drove  away. 

A  few  weeks  afterwards  when  again  two  men  at- 
tempted to  stop  her  she  shot  the  leader,  applied  the 
lash  to  her  horses  and  escaped  without  harm. 

The  body  of  the  highwayman  was  found  by  a  search- 
ing party  in  an  old  tunnel  near  the  scene  of  the  shooting. 

Some  years  later  I  read  a  newspaper  account  of  her 
death;  which  occurred  in  Salinas  Valley  near  the  city 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  185 

of  Watsonville,  Monterey  County.  This  article  stated 
that  after  driving  the  stage  over  the  same  route  for 
twenty-five  years,  she  had,  some  two  year  previous 
to  the  writing,  on  account  of  suffering  from  rheumatism, 
given  up  stage  driving  and  invested  her  earnings  in  a 
ranch  near  the  town,  There  she  led  a  quiet,  industri- 
ous Hfe,  attending  strictly  to  her  own  business,  culti- 
vating her  land  alone.  Being  missed  from  her  accus- 
tomed employments  about  the  ranch  by  her  neighbors, 
for  several  days,  a  search  was  made  and  her  body  was 
found  cold  in  death,  on  her  bed  in  her  little  cabin. 
In  preparing  the  body  for  burial,  to  the  utter  surprise  of 
every  one  it  was  discovered,  for  the  first  time,  that  she 
was  a  woman.  Who  she  was,  whence  she  came,  what 
her  previous  history  could  have  been,  what  crosses 
in  love  or  disappointments  in  life  had  led  her  to  assume 
the  role,  and  do  the  work  of  a  man,  in  one  of  the  rough- 
est callings  of  life,  are  mysteries  never  to  be  solved. 
She  died  and  gave  no  sign. 

I  do  not  remember  the  name  she  bore. 

The  old  California  Stage  Company,  founded  in  1854, 
held  a  virtual  monopoly  of  the  business  up  to  1861. 
The  magnitude  of  the  business  can  be  imagined  when 
I  state  that  in  1858  they  sent  Wash  Montgomery,  one 
of  their  agents,  to  Missouri  and  Kentucky  who  bought 
for  them  1,200  head  of  horses  and  drove  them  across 
the  plains  for  use  on  their  lines. 

A  quarrel  ensued  between  the  California  Stage  Com- 
pany, which  at  that  time  controlled  all  tlie  stage  travel 
of  the  coast,  and  the  Wells,  Fargo  Company.     This 


186         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

resulted  in  the  latter  placing  an  opposition  line  between 
Sacramento  and  Virginia  City.  This  competition 
brought  about  a  reduction  of  the  fare  from  $40  to  $3 
and  a  decrease  in  the  running  time  to  about  thirty-six 
hours.  The  rate  of  speed  being  ten  miles  an  hour, 
the  most  rapid  rate  of  stage  traveling  of  which  I  have 
ever  heard  in  any  part  of  the  world.  Considering  the 
roughness  of  the  road  over  which  they  traveled  it  was 
phenomenal. 

This  rivalry  between  the  two  companies  finally 
resulted  in  the  failure  of  the  California  Stage  Company, 
and  the  better  establishment  of  the  Wells,  Fargo 
system,  which  still  exists  to-day. 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  human  tree  that  developed  into  Wm.  C.  Ralston, 
was  peculiarly  a  California  production;  in  no  other 
soil  could  it  have  taken  root,  grown  and  flourished.  It 
was  the  genius  of  Ralston  that  made  the  Bank  of  Cali- 
fornia not  only  the  greatest  financial  institution  on  the 
Coast,  but  one  of  the  strongest  in  the  country,  and 
its  resources  were,  under  the  direction  of  the  master 
hand  controlling  its  machinery,  always  directed  to 
the  industrial  development  of  San  Francisco,  Califor- 
nia, and  the  Pacific  Coast.  Agriculture,  mining,  man- 
ufacturing and  commerce  were  all  aided,  abetted  and 
assisted.  When  the  farmer  needed  money  to  harvest 
his  crop,  Ralston  supplied  it. 

If  a  new  mine  was  opened,  Ralston  was  ready  with 
assistance.  When  I.  C.  Bateman  had  reached  the 
point  where  a  mill  was  needed  on  the  Northern  Belle, 
Ralston  gave  him  his  individual  check  for  seventy- 
five  thousand  dollars  as  a  personal  loan  without  security 
to  erect  it,  and  Bateman  and  his  partners  made  millions. 

When  Stanford  and  his  colleagues  were  pinched  for 
money  in  constructing  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad, 
Ralston   supplied   it.     When   Peter   Donahue   needed 

187 


188         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

money  to  complete  his  road  to  Gilroy,  Ralston  advanced 
it.    He  and  his  friends  built  the  Pioche  Road  in  Nevada. 

He  believed  in  California  with  its  illimitable  possi- 
bilities of  soil  and  climate,  and  he  believed  in  San 
Francisco  as  the  future  metropolis  of  the  Setting  Sun. 
He  projected  ocean  lines  to  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
Australia,  China  and  Japan.  His  industry  and  energy 
were  everywhere  in  evidence,  his  dream  was  to  make 
San  Francisco  a  great  manufacturing  center.  The 
Mission  Woolen  Mills,  the  lead  works,  refining  works 
and  nail  works  were  built  through  his  advice  and  assist- 
ance. He  built  a  watch  factory  and  carriage  factory, 
which,  had  he  lived,  I  have  no  doubt  would  have  been 
in  operation  to-day.  He  left  among  other  monuments 
to  his  civic  ambition  and  public  enterprise,  the  Grand 
Hotel  of  five  hundred  rooms  and  the  Palace  Hotel  of 
one  thousand  rooms. 

With  great  capacity  for  work,  he  grew  strong  under 
tasks  that  would  have  destroyed  an  ordinary  man. 
Quick  to  grasp  a  proposition,  whether  of  public  or 
private  enterprise,  and  to  push  it  with  a  zeal  that  defied 
defeat,  he  infused  into  the  business  life  of  San  Francisco 
the  personality  of  his  dominant  energy  and  tireless 
enterprise. 

Without  envy  or  malice,  devoid  of  greed,  generous, 
magnanimous  and  noble,  he  permitted  others  to  reap 
when  he  had  sown.  If  an  enterprise  failed  to  material- 
ize dollars,  as  rapidly  as  expected,  rather  than  endure 
the  whinings  of  faint-hearted  partners,  he  would  assume 
its  burthens;  indeed,  it  was  a  common  saying  applied 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  189 

to  one  of  his  associates,  that  Ralston  caught  the  hares 
and  his  friend  picked  out  the  fat  ones. 

His  sympathy  for  his  fellow-man  was  humanitarian; 
he  never  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  he  was  the  son  of 
a  carpenter  and  spent  his  early  youth  in  shoving  the 
jack-plane.  He  would  always  find  time  to  find  a  good 
job  for  the  working-man  and  to  tide  a  struggling,  worthy 
fellow  over  the  tides  of  threatened  danger.  He  payed 
labor  the  highest  wage.  It  was  he  who  induced  James 
Lick  to  endow  a  technical  school  in  San  Francisco 
where  yoimg  men  could  be  educated  in  mechanical  art. 

While  he  was  the  dominant  power  on  the  coast  and 
beloved  of  all  classes,  Ralston  had  enemies  most  malig- 
nant and  bitter,  acting  upon  the  reports  of  experts 
whom  he  confided  in,  he  and  his  friends  invested  largely 
in  Savage  Stock,  under  the  belief  that  the  ore  bodies 
of  the  Con.  Virginia  and  California  dipped  into  the 
Savage  ground.  There  was  one  hundred  and  ten 
thousand  shares  in  the  mine  and  when  the  collapse 
came,  it  dropped  from  six  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
per  share  to  fifty  dollars  in  a  week. 

Then  began  a  systematic  assault  through  the  columns 
of  the  Call  and  Bulletin  upon  Ralston  and  the  Cali- 
fornia Bank.  It  was  charged  that  he  had  defrauded 
the  public  in  the  Diamond  Swindle  elsewhere  related 
in  this  book,  when  in  fact  he  and  others  had  taken 
hold  of  it  upon  a  report  made  by  one  of  the  best  experts 
of  the  city,  Ralston  putting  in  his  own  money  and 
afterwards  paying  over  $300,000  to  those  who  bought 
in  on  his  advice.     The    company    was    formed,  but 


190         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Ralston  locked  up  the  stock,  refusing  to  sell  a  share 
until  the  value  of  the  property  was  proven. 

It  was  also  charged  that  he  was  about  t;  revive  the 
old  De  Hara  claim  to  a  large  portion  of  the  City  of 
San  Francisco,  a  falsehood  most  infamous  in  its  con- 
ception and  promulgation.  These  and  other  charges 
were  made  against  Ralston,  and  vnih  insinuations  and 
indirect  charges  affecting  the  integrity  of  the  Bank  of 
California,  were  sent  broadcast  to  every  financial  center. 
As  the  bank  was  drawing  direct  upon  London,  Paris, 
Antwerp,  Berlin  and  other  cities  of  Europe,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  its  credit  was  affected  throughout  the 
financial  world,  and  that  with  assets  non-converta- 
ble  for  the  moment,  it  was  not  able  to  meet  the  constant 
drain  upon  its  resources. 

The  bank  closed  its  doors  on  the  26th  of  August, 
1875.  The  enemies  of  Ralston  had  triumphed.  He 
met  his  tragic  death  on  the  27th.  The  Daily  Alta  of 
the  28th  had  the  following: 

"The  tragic  story  of  yesterday  is  briefly  told.  The 
early  morning  saw  W.  C.  Ralston  departing  from  his 
home  for  the  bank,  leaving  his  wife  and  his  children  pen- 
niless— laying  down  his  entire  property,  home  and  all, 
on  the  altar  of  financial  honor.  He  sacrificed  all,  to 
help  the  bank.  In  the  great  pride  of  manhood,  he 
met  the  Board  of  Trustees,  men  who,  with  few  excep- 
tions, had  been  lifted  by  his  genius,  from  obscurity  to 
affluence.  There  were  those  among  them  (and  we 
are  informed  that  Mr.  Sharon  was  one  of  those),  who 
offered  to  stand  by  him  until  the  last  dollar,  and  the 
last  drop  of  blood  were  gone.    "^Tien  the  Board  of 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         191 

Trustees  met,  Mr.  Ralston  was  requested  to  withdraw, 
because  they  desired  to  consult  on  some  matters  which 
would  require  his  absence.  He  withdrew  to  his  office. 
Soon,  he  was  waited  upon  by  D.  0.  Mills,  who,  by 
instructions  of  the  Board,  presented  to  him  a  copy  of  a 
resolution  adopted  by  the  Board,  requesting  his  resigna- 
tion. Immediately  he  handed  the  required  document  to 
Mr.  Mills,  and  after  a  few  moment's  conversation  with 
a  friend,  he  went  from  his  office  into  the  general  bank- 
ing room,  and  never  returned.  It  appears  that  he 
left  the  bank  by  the  Sansome  Street  entrance,  went 
up  Sansome  to  Clay,  thence  to  Stockton  Street,  and 
to  the  Bath  House  at  North  Beach.  The  proprietor 
of  the  bath  suggested  to  him,  upon  his  request  for 
towels,  that  he  was  too  warm  to  go  into  the  water. 
It  seems  that  he  had  walked  all  the  way  from  the  bank. 
His  handkerchief  and  underclothing,  when  found  and 
examined,  nearly  an  hour  after  his  death,  were  drip- 
ping with  perspiration.  And  this  is  the  story.  We 
have  no  comment  to  make  upon  the  agencies  that 
brought  about  this  result, 

"The  streets  were  alive  with  people  until  a  late  hour 
last  night,  and  at  all  points  the  sad  event  of  the  day, 
which  has  cast  a  gloom  over  the  city,  was  the  subject 
of  discussion," 

The  following  is  the  report  of  the  Coroner's  Jury: — 

"The  deceased  was  William  C.  Ralston,  late  of  the 
City  and  County  of  San  Francisco.  His  age  was  49 
years,  and  he  was  a  native  of  Ohio.  On  Friday  after- 
noon, August  27,  1875,  Mr,  Ralston,  according  to  his 
habit  of  bathing  there,  proceeded  to  the  North  Beach 
for  the  purpose  of  sea  bathing.  He  used  every  reason- 
able and  proper  precaution  to  reduce  his  bodily  tem- 
perature before  entering  the  water.     He  was  carried  by 


192         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

the  flood  tide  beyond  his  power  to  return,  and  his 
exertions  to  regain  the  shore,  added  to  the  shock  to 
his  system  by  contact  with  the  water,  while  he  Avas 
overheated,  produced  congestion  of  the  brain  and 
vital  organs.  Hiis  death  was  caused  primarily  by  such 
congestion,  and  secondarily  by  drowning.  The  jury 
were  unanimously  of  the  opinion,  and  do  find  that 
Mr.  Ralston's  death  was  accidental. 

"Signed: 

J.  B.  Garniss,  R.  F.  Morrow, 

C.  L.  Weller,  J.  R.  Keene, 

H.  F.  Williams,  W.  H.  L.  Barnes, 

A.  A.  Cohen,  J.  C.  L.  Wadsworth. 

"The  Coroner,  after  the  jury  had  rendered  their 
report,  thanked  them  for  the  diligence  and  care  they 
had  exercised  in  arriving  at  their  verdict.  He  also 
stated  that  he  had  left  nothing  undone  that  would 
bring  out  all  the  facts  in  the  case." 

On  Tuesday,  August  29th,  memorial  sermons  were 
preached  in  all  the  leading  churches  of  the  city.  On 
Monday,  the  day  of  the  funeral,  San  Francisco  put  on 
the  garb  of  mourning,  flags  were  at  half-mast  from 
public  and  private  buildings  throughout  the  city,  and 
citizens  en  masse  turned  out  to  do  honor  to  the  memory 
of  him  who  had  been  the  master  force  in  beautifying 
San  Francisco  and  paving  the  way  to  the  magnificent 
commercial  importance  she  to-day  enjoys.  The  pro- 
cession, three  miles  long,  that  on  foot  and  in  vehicles 
followed  his  remains  to  Lone  Mountain,  and  the  thou- 
sands of  men,  women  and  children  that  with  bowed 
heads  lined  the  streets  along  which  passed  the  mourn- 


W.  C.  Ralston,  Founder  of  the  Bank 
OF  California. —Po^e  1811. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  193 

ful  cortege  was  without  class  distinction  in  doing  honor 
to  CaHfornia's  most  distinguished  citizen;  the  laborer 
took  his  place  by  the  side  of  the  millionaire,  all  stood 
silent  under  shadow  of  great  disaster,  for  it  was  recog- 
nized that  in  the  untimely  taking  off  of  this  man  a 
great  calamity  had  been  visited  upon  the  city  and 
caused  evils  which  time  alone  could  repair. 

Even  with  his  death  and  burial  the  tongue  of  slander 
was  not  silenced. 

On  the  third  of  September,  there  appeared  as  an 
advertisement,  draped  in  sombre  black,  the  following: 

"meeting. 

"All  the  friends  of  the  late  William  C.  Ralston  are 
requested  to  meet  at  Union  Hall,  this  evening,  Sep- 
tember 8,  1875,  at  8  o'clock." 

Fears  were  entertained  that  the  meeting  might  result 
in  mob  violence  or  the  organization  of  a  vigilance 
committee.  Such  was  not  its  purpose,  it  was  a  meeting 
called  in  order  that  the  true  feeling  cherished  by  San 
Francisco  for  her  dead  friend  and  benefactor  might 
find  expression  in  eulogy  of  his  life  and  character  and 
in  solemn  protests  against  his  defamers. 

At  the  appointed  time,  twenty  thousand  people 
assembled  to  do  justice  to  his  memory.  The  hall  was 
crowded  and  overflow  meetings  were  organized.  It 
was  a  representation  of  all  classes.  From  the  speeches 
made  on  this  occasion,  I  make  the  following  extracts: 


194         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Col.  W.  H.  L.  Barnes: 

"There  is  no  well-founded  accusation  against  him. 
It  was  said,  falsely  said,  that  he  was  a  defaulter  to 
the  Bank  of  California.  Now,  gentlemen,  that  is  not 
so.  It  has  never  been  responsibly  asserted.  If  I 
understand  the  meaning  of  the  term,  as  we  use  it 
in  connection  with  such  an  institution,  it  means  one 
who  feloniously  secretes-  and  absorbs  to  his  own  benefit, 
the  moneys  that  are  intrusted  to  him.  Is  there  any 
man  who  will  say  that  of  William  C.  Ralston? 

''Of  his  enormous  fortune,  it  all  went  to  the  public. 
The  alleged  defalcations  simply  are  indebtedness  to 
the  bank  of  which  he  was  President,  which  his  estate 
is  believed  to  be  ample  to  meet.     ******* 

"There  is  not  a  laboring  man,  there  is  not  a  mechanic, 
there  is  not  a  citizen  of  San  Francisco,  that  has  not 
reaped  the  benefit  of  those  loans.  What  if  the  capital 
of  the  Bank  of  California  was  impaired  by  loans  to  the 
Mission  Woolen  Mills?  It  has  made  an  institution  that 
is  the  pride  of  the  city  and  state,  and  is  worth,  to-day, 
more  than  a  million  dollars  over  and  above  every  cent 
it  owes  the  Bank  of  California.  Your  factories  and 
your  places  of  public  industry — the  sources  from  which 
your  best  class  of  artisans,  your  skilled  mechanics,  get 
their  living  and  support  their  families — have  been 
taken  care  of  by  this  capital  of  the  Bank  of  California. 
And  I  think  it  is  a  great  deal  better  to  have  it  in  that 
shape  than  to  have  it  in  Yellow  Jacket  and  Savage. 
They  said  there  is  an  over  issue  of  the  stock  of  the 
Bank  of  California.  Gentlemen,  I  say  here  now,  that 
if  there  ever  was  an  unmitigated,  good,  old-fashioned, 
American  he,  it  is  that.  ********** 

"What  shall   I  say  of  him  as  a  friend?    Whoever 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  195 

knew  him  but  found  in  him  a  loyal,  faithful,  honest- 
hearted,  tender,  sympathizing,  self-sacrificing  friend. 
It  made  no  difference  what  your  trouble  was, — monetary 
or  personal, — whatever  it  was,  you  could  take  him 
when  the  financial  tide  was  surging  and  sweeping  about 
him,  and  he  could  strip  himself  of  all  his  own  cares 
and  anxieties,  and  sit  down  and  hear  what  you  had 
to  say,  and  set  himself  to  work  with  that  resistless 
energy  of  his,  to  bear  you  safely  through.  No  poor 
man  ever  went  to  him  and  received  an  unkind  word. 
No  defenseless  woman,  no  little  child  ever  begged  of 
him,  but  found  his  pocket  as  free  as  his  advice.  None 
ever  spoke  to  that  man  and  had  him  put  them  through 
all  the  phases  of  their  misery  before  he  relieved  them. 
He  gave  everywhere,  to  everybody.  And  if  a  little 
child  wanted  a  place  to  work,  and  went  to  him,  he 
would  lay  aside  his  business  and  go  with  it  in  hand 
until  he  found  something  for  it  to  do.  Everywhere, 
with  everybody,  he  was  generous,  kindly,  considerate. 
He  never  cringed  to  a  rich  man,  and  he  never  turned 
his  back  upon  a  poor  one.  His  proudest  boast  was  that 
he  was  a  man  of  the  people;  that  his  father  was  a  car- 
penter, that  he  learned  his  trade,  and  I  remember — 
and  it  only  occurs  to  me  at  this  moment — that  when, 
a  couple  of  years  ago,  I  was  discussing  before  the 
public  that  question,  'What  shall  we  do  with  our 
boys?'  he  said  that  if  a  trade  school  should  be  started 
here  for  these  untrained,  uneducated  boys,  he  would 
give,  $100,000  to  start  it.  And  it  was  through  his 
influence,  and  through  his  persuasions  toward  those 
who  were  most  near  him,  that  James  Lick  made  that 
munificent  provision,  which  still  exists,  for  the  estab- 
lishment in  San  Francisco  of  a  great  trade  school  for 
boys.     However  you  look  at  him,  in  whatever  he  did, 


196         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

whatever  he  attempted  to  do,  he  never,  never,  and 
God,  who  hears  the  assertion,  knows  its  truth — acted 
from  a  selfish,  base,  or  ignoble  motive." 

Hon.  Thomas  Fitch: 

"What  part  of  human  speech  can  fitly  eulogize  the 
man  we  have  lost?  What  brush  of  artist,  or  pen  of 
dramatist  can  depict  the  benefactions  of  his  generous 
life,  and  the  tragedy  of  his  heroic  death?  His  deeds 
speak  for  him  in  tones  that  sound  like  the  blare  of 
trumpets,  his  monuments'  rise  from  every  rood  of 
ground  in  your  city.  His  eulogy  is  written  on  ten 
thousand  hearts,  commerce  commemorates  his  deeds 
with  her  whitening  sails  and  her  laden  wharves,  phil- 
anthropy chimes  the  bells  of  all  public  charities  in 
attestation  of  his  liberality,  patriotism  sings  peans  for 
him,  who  in  the  hour  of  the  nation's  struggle,  sent  the 
ringing  gold  of  mercy  to  chime  with  the  flashing  steel 
of  valor.  Unnumbered  deeds  of  private  generosity 
attest  his  secret  charities,  sorrow  has  found  solace  in 
his  deeds,  despair  has  been  lifted  into  hope  by  his 
bounty,  there  are  charities  whose  heaven-kissing  spires 
chronicle  his  donations  to  the  cause  of  religion,  schools 
claim  him  as  their  patron,  hospitals  own  him  as  their 
benefactor.  Art  has  found  in  him  a  supporter,  science 
leaned  on  him  while  her  vision  swept  the  infinite,  the 
feet  of  progress  have  been  sandaled  with  his  silver. 
He  has  upheld  invention  while  she  wrestled  with  the 
dead  forces  of  nature.  He  was  the  life  of  all  enter- 
prise, the  vigor  of  all  progress,  the  epitome  and  rep- 
resentative of  all  that  is  broadening,  and  expansive, 
and  uplifting,  in  the  life  of  California.  Would  you 
show  honor  and  hospitality  to  travelers  renowned  in 
letters,  arts  or  arms?     Ralston  was  the  princely  host. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  197 

Did  you  wish  to  forward  a  public  or  private  charity? 
Ralston  headed  the  subscription  hst.  Would  you 
develop  a  new  industry,  to  enlarge  the  resources  of 
the  city,  start  a  new  manufacture,  add  wealth  to  the 
state,  and  furnish  hundreds  of  husbands  and  fathers 
with  contented  and  well  paid  toil? — you  went  to  Ral- 
ston for  ad\'ice  and  assistance.  He  impressed  3^ou  with 
his  power,  he  infused  you  with  his  energy,  he  touched 
you  with  his  princely  generosity,  he  conquered  you 
with  his  magnetism.  His  vitality  was  like  the  flash 
of  steel,  his  enduring  energy  was  like  the  steady  and 
swift  flow  of  a  cataract,  his  beneficence  was  like  the 
copious  and  searching  philanthropy  of  the  summer 
rain.  Of  all  her  public  possessions,  the  commonwealth 
of  California  never  ownied  anything  more  valuable  than 
this  man's  life.  Of  all  her  public  disasters,  she  has 
had  none  greater  than  his  death.  Of  all  her  shrines, 
there  should  be  none  more  sacred  from  desecration 
than  his  memory. 

"And  the  people  of  California  will  be  false  to  every 
impulse  of  justice  and  manly  honor,  if  they  allow  the 
hounds  of  treachery,  cruelty,  and  falsehood,  who  ran 
hot  upon  his  trail,  while  living,  to  now  lay  their  slanders 
upon  his  new-made  grave.  I  say  with  you  'Never!' 
Rather  let  every  honest  hand  grasp  a  whip  to  scourge 
these  merciless  dogs  into  their  dens — into  the  editorial 
rooms  of  the  San  Francisco  Bulletin  and  Call. 

"I  say,  my  fellow  citizens,  that  William  C.  Ralston 
was  stung  to  death  by  the  blood-sucking  vermin  of  the 
press.  I  am  not  here  to  question  the  verdict  of  the 
Coroner's  jury,  but  even  if  Mr.  Ralston  had  wrought 
his  own  destruction,  if,  denuded  of  all  earthly  pos- 
sessions, if,  bereft  of  house  and  home,  wounded  in 
spirit  and  shorn  of  hope,  his  great  heart  left  the  earth 
and  sought  the  swift  current  that  should  carry  his 


198         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

life  out  through  the  Golden  Gate  of  death  into  the 
peaceful  ocean  whose  shores  are  the  confines  of  ICternity, 
if  this  had  been  so  who  shall  gainsay  his  right,  or 
question  his  decision? 

"Of  all  his  vast  possessions  he  retained  nothing,  not 
even  a  winding  sheet.  He  went  out  of  the  world  as 
he  came  into  it.  He  left  everything  to  his  creditors — 
his  creditors!  do  I  say?  What  man  so  presumptuous  as 
to  call  William  C.  Ralston  his  debtor?  The  people  of 
California,  collectively,  owe  him  more  than  enough  to 
offset  his  liabilities,  and  the  balance  to  his  credit  in 
the  Eternal  Ledger  is  large  enough  to  acquit  him  of 
all  the  errors  of  a  princely  life. 

"My  fellow  citizens,  I  am  not  here  to  attempt  to 
cast  reproach  upon  the  genius  of  a  free  press.  It  is 
the  great  economical  illuminator  of  all  practical  human 
aspects,  politics,  art,  religion,  society,  morals.  It  is 
at  once  the  tribunal  of  taste  and  the  articulator  of 
thought.  It  is  the  handmaid  of  enterprise,  the  fortress 
of  order,  the  mailed,  invincible  right  arm  of  freedom. 

"Like  commerce,  it  gives  health  and  vigor  to  the 
life  of  nations.  Like  commerce,  its  sceptre  stretches 
from  the  shining  temples  of  the  Orient  to  the  swimming 
forests  of  the  Thames.  Its  shrouds  stiffen,  and  its 
white  sheets  fill  with  the  winged  gales  of  Progress — 
beating  foaming  paths  through  conquered  waters, 
dashing,  on  steeds  of  fire,  along  iron  ways,  harnessing 
the  elements  to  its  chariot,  reading  the  mysteries  of 
the  magnet,  making  a  courier  of  the  lightning,  and 
guides  of  sun  and  stars,  it  courses  its  way  in  majesty, 
in  power,  and  in  glory,  over  a  boundless  sea  of  possibil- 
ities, and  its  dominion  broadens  with  every  swelling  of 
the  tide. 

"Its  many  colored  fabric  is  meshed  and  fashioned 
in  the  beneficent  loom  of   cumulative  emprise,  and 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  199 

its  shifting  shuttle  marks  the  pace  of  the  world's  advance. 
But  if  piratic  hands  grasp  the  sceptre,  and  change  it 
to  a  murderous  cudgel,  if  its  bellied  sails  are  blackened 
with  fumes  from  hell,  and  bloated  with  the  charnel 
house's  vapors,  if,  instead  of  argosies  engaged  in  fair 
trade,  we  have  slavers  seeking  their  cargoes  in  the 
fever-haunted  jungles  of  slander — wreckers,  lighting 
false  beacons  to  lure  noble  ships  upon  the  rocks  of 
confidence — pirates  whose  decks  are  slippery  with  the 
blood  of  their  victims,  if  narrowing  the  horizon  of  its 
opportunities  down  to  spite  and  hindrance,  and  slan- 
ders foul,  and  stale,  and  false  and  inhuman,  the  press 
becomes  the  plunderer  of  the  reputation  of  men,  living 
and  dead, — then  even  as  the  nations  of  the  earth  com- 
bine for  the  extermination  of  the  outlaws  of  the  sea, 
so  ought  communities  to  combine  against  the  demons 
of  the  press.  Have  we  not  such  pirates  among  us? 
Why,  fellow  citizens,  for  twenty  years,  the  San  Fran- 
cisco Bulletin  has  crouched  like  a  bloodless  frog  upon 
a  stone,  gloating,  and  croaking,  and  puking  in  the 
face  of  nature." 

Dr.  J.  C.  Shorb: 

"Ralston  was  great  in  spite  of  any  fate.  He  owed 
nothing,  absolutely  nothing,  to  his  surroimdings,  he 
owed  nothing  to  the  age  in  which  his  lot  was  cast,  he 
owed  nothing  to  his  parentage  save  the  bare  fact  of 
his  existence,  he  owed  nothing  to  early  education, 
for  this  was  denied  him.  I  tell  you,  citizens  of  San 
Francisco,  he  was  great  when  he  shoved  the  jack-plane 
at  his  father's  bench,  in  Wellsville,  Ohio,  he  was  great 
when  he  trod  the  deck  of  the  river  packet  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi, he  was  great  when  he  first  set  foot  on  the  soil 
of  California,  he  was  great  when  he  controlled  the 


200         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

finances  of  the  States  of  California  and  Nevada,  he  was 
great  at  the  zenith  of  his  popularity  and  successful 
management,  he  was  great  in  his  life,  he  was  great  in 
his  death — in  his  awful  tragical  death,     ***** 

''Each  moment  spread  the  fearful  certainty,  and 
before  the  sun  went  down  on  that  black  Friday  night, 
a  brokenh-earted  city  mourned  the  death  of  its  best 
friend,  and  noble  benefactor.  Yes,  he  was  gone. 
Dead,  and  gone  forever.  Men  with  pale  faces,  faces 
written  all  over  with  grief  and  horror,  gathered  around 
in  little  groups,  or  walked  silently  about,  that  awful 
night,  speaking  in  whispers  one  to  the  other,  asking 
the  solemn  question,  but  getting  no  reply, —  'Who 
shall  take  his  place?'  The  busy  voice  of  trade  was 
hushed  in  the  thoroughfares.  There  were  rumors  of 
new  tragedies  in  different  portions  of  the  city.  Men 
feared  the  dawning  of  the  clay.  There  were  murmurs 
of  vengeance, — low,  muttered  threats  of  violence. 
There  were  troops  under  arms  all  night  long,  not  know- 
ing what  moment  a  spark  would  ignite  the  combusti- 
ble elements  in  the  heart  and  soul  of  a  people  whose 
wrath,  like  the  delegated  wrath  of  God,  has  before  this 
shaken  nations  to  the  center,  desolated  cities,  and 
made  their  streets  splash  and  bubble  with  torrents  of 
human  blood.  The  night  my  friends,  passed  silently 
away,  and  the  morning  broke  upon  this  city,  bowed 
down  with  grief  and  saturated  with  despair.     *    *    * 

"Having  most  falsely  and  foully  misrepresented  the 
condition  of  the  affairs  of  the  Bank  of  California,  they 
stabbed  this  state  to  the  very  heart;  they  have  im- 
peached our  credit  at  home  and  abroad,  from  center 
to  circumference  they  have  arrested  the  progress  of 
manufactures;  they  have  taken  necessary  capital  out 
of  circulation;  they  have  impaired  the  safety  and 
value  of  our  securities;  they  have  labored  to  disgrace 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         201 

us  throughout  the  world,  in  every  nation,  Christian 
and  Pagan,  in  every  land  ^\ith  which  the  American 
Republic  holds  commercial  relations  to-day.  We  have 
only  to  refer,  my  friends,  for  a  moment  to  the  adver- 
tisements of  the  Bank  of  California,  second  only  in 
importance  to  the  Bank  of  England.  Vv'e  see  at  a 
glance  hov/  extensive  and  numerious  were  its  ramifica- 
tions; in  how  many  commercial  centers  of  the  globe 
it  engaged  the  confidence  and  respect  of  trade  and  com- 
merce. Letters  of  credit  issued,  and  available  for 
the  purchase  of  merchandise,  throughout  the  United 
States,  Europe,  India,  China,  Japan  and  Australia. 
It  drew  direct  on  London,  Dublin,  Paris,  St.  Peters- 
burg, Amsterdam,  Antwerp,  Hamburg,  Bremen,  Leip- 
sic,  Vienna,  Stockholm,  Christiania. 

"The  agent  of  the  Associated  Press  in  the  City  of 
New  York,  in  league  with  and  inspired  by  the  hate  and 
malice  of  his  partners  in  San  Francisco,  charged  the 
lightning  to  convey  the  history  of  our  disasters  to  the 
farthest  parts  of  the  earth,  and  to  hold  up  to  the  exe- 
cration of  the  world  the  rotten  condition  of  the  financial 
structure  of  California.  A  shameless  repudiation  of 
all  our  sacred  obligations — of  the  state  debt — would 
have  done  us  infinitely  less  harm  than  the  agent  of  the 
Associated  Press  did  when  he  called  the  cable  into 
service,  and  made  the  lightning  his  messenger  to  con- 
vey the  false  story  of  financial  ruin  having  fallen  upon 
the  State  of  California.  I  tell  you,  I  solemnly  believe 
that  it  will  require  twenty  years  or  more  to  remedy 
the  evil  which  they  have  done,  and  to  restore  California 
to  the  confidence  of  the  world — to  place  her  where  she 
stood  New  Year's  morning,  1875.  For  weeks  and 
months  preceding  the  death  of  Ralston,  the  great 
banker — our  benefactor  and  friend — there  rained  with- 
out intermission  upon  his  devoted  head,  torrents  of 


202         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

abuse — a  deluge  of  the  most  abominable  lies — from 
two  of  the  leading  papers  in  the  City  of  San  Francisco. 
By  night  and  by  day,  on  week  days,  and  on  Sundays, 
they  held  him  up  to  public  execration  as  the  most  con- 
spicuous and  malignant  conspirator  against  the  true 
interests  and  welfare  of  the  city  of  San  Francisco — a 
city  which  owes  its  present  position  and  its  magnificent 
progress,  more  to  William  C.  Ralston  than  to  any 
other  man,  living  or  dead,  in  California  to-day.  The 
City  of  San  Francisco  is  Mr.  Ralston's  pionument. 
Nothing  but  the  hand  of  God  moving  in  the  earth- 
quake shall  hurl  that  monument  into  ruins.  It  will 
live  and  grow  to  scourge  and  burn  the  conscience  of 
his  traducers  who  had  the  heart,  but  not  the  courage 
of  the  assassin."     ************ 

All  the  speakers  urged  the  vast  audience  to  resort 
to  no  act  of  violence.  Resolutions  expressive  of  the 
universal  esteem  in  which  Ralston  was  held  and  con- 
demning the  Bulletin  and  Call,  controlled  by  G.  K. 
Fitch  and  Loring  Pickering  and  the  Associated  Press, 
of  which  the  following  is  a  type,  were  adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  the  course  of  the  agent  of  the  As- 
sociated Press  in  forwarding  the  slanderous  attacks 
on  the  late  Mr.  Ralston,  and  in  sending  as  facts  the 
worst  street  rumors  concerning  the  solvency  of  the 
bank,  and  the  character  of  Mr.  Ralston,  has  been  out- 
rageously unjust  to  the  people  and  interests  of  this 
coast;  that  the  use  of  the  Associated  Press  dispatches 
exclusively  in  the  partisan  support  of  the  Evening 
Bulletin  and  Morning  Call,  in  the  dissemination  of 
these  slanders,  deserves  public  rebuke;  and  that  J.  W. 
Simonton,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  those  two  papers, 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         203 

who  is  also  the  manager  of  the  New  York  Associated 
Press,  is  directly  chargeable  with  this  prostitution  of 
journalism." 

Testimonials  of  respect  for  the  life  and  memory  of 
W.  C.  Ralston  were  adopted  by  all  the  leading  associa- 
tions of  San  Francisco,  which  with  the  proceedings  of 
the  monster  meeting  were  spread  broadcast  wherever 
the  lightnings  touched  the  marts  of  trade  and  the 
hives  of  industry,  which  silenced  his  enemies  and 
placed  his  character  in  its  true  light — that  of  an  hon- 
orable, high-minded  man  of  affairs,  whose  services 
were  written  in  the  progress  of  the  state  and  city. 

For  ten  days  or  two  weeks  after  the  death  of  Ralston 
and  the  suspension  of  the  Bank  of  California,  all  busi- 
ness was  practically  suspended,  until  the  bankers 
could  receive  from  the  East  supplies  of  gold  demanded 
by  the  normal  conditions  of  trade.  It  was  said  that 
the  Directors  of  the  Bank  of  California  had  passed  a 
resolution  throwing  that  institution  into  liquidation, 
which,  reaching  the  ears  of  a  prominent  lawyer^ 
a  friend  who  felt  great  injustice  had  been  done 
Ralston,  sent  word  to  the  Trustees  that  before  taking 
such  precipitate  action,  he  would  like  to  confer  with 
them,  as  he  could  give  them  information  it  was  im- 
portant they  should  know. 

The  meeting  was  arranged.  The  lawyer  on  being 
informed  that  the  resolution  had  been  adopted  as 
reported,  inquired  as  to  the  solvency  of  the  bank  and 
was  informed  that  the  depositors  would  be  paid,  but 
that  the  stockholders  would  lose  heavily. 


204         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

"How  long  has  the  bank  been  insolvent?" 

"Four  or  five  months." 

"You  have  been  during  that  time  declaring  the 
usual  monthly  dividends  of  one  per  cent  on  your  cap- 
ital stock,  have  you  not?" 

"Yes." 

"Well,  gentlemen,  if  you  decide  to  go  into  liquida- 
tion, I  will  advertise  for  every  share  of  stock  I  can  in 
the  bank  and  proceed  against  each  one  of  you  criminally, 
for  there  is  a  statute  in  this  State  that  makes  it  a  felony 
for  the  trustees  or  directors  of  any  corporation  to 
declare  unearned  dividends." 

This  was  indeed  information  to  the  Board.  They 
sent  for  Sam  Wilson,  the  attorney  of  the  bank,  and 
told  him  the  threat  made.  Wilson  said  he  knew  of  no 
such  statute,  but  would  investigate  and  let  them  know 
latter.  He  did  so,  and  reported  that  such  a  law  had 
been  passed  at  the  last  Legislative  Session. 

The  resolution  was  rescinded,  a  patriotic  wave  swept 
over  the  rich  directors.  The  daily  press  in  many 
editorials  advocated  the  rehabilitation  of  the  bank. 
It  was  declared  that  to  allow  the  Bank  of  California 
to  go  out  of  business,  an  institution  that  had  so  long 
been  so  closely  identified  with  the  prosperity  of  the 
state,  would  be  a  lasting  reproach  upon  the  citizen- 
ship, all  of  which  found  a  lively  response  among  the' 
people  most  affected,  with  the  result  that  the  depos- 
itors agreed  to  accept  term  payments,  a  large  guarantee 
fund  was  created  sufficient  to  protect  every  creditor 
against  loss,  and  to  restore  the  value  of  the  stock  to 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         205 

par.  When  these  prehminaries  were  arranged,  the 
bank  resumed  business  and  is,  to-day,  the  leading 
financial  institution  of  San  Francisco. 

It  was  claimed  that  the  lawyer  responsible  for  all  this 
was  a  debtor  to  the  bank  in  a  large  sum  and  when 
requested  to  liquidate,  refused,  saying  the  bank  justly 
owed  him  a  much  greater  sum  for  keeping  their  mil- 
lionaire directors  out  of  the  state's  prison. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

James  R.  Keene  came  to  San  Francisco  a  poor  man, 
from  Shasta  County,  I  have  been  told  that  during 
the  war  he  edited  a  Democratic  i)aper  in  Shasta  County. 
He  began  operating  in  stocks  as  a  curbstone  broker,  and 
by  the  mere  force  of  his  genius,  was  soon  one  of  the 
controlHng  powers  of  the  mining  board.  He  amassed 
a  fortune  of  about  $8,000,000  and  transferred  his 
business  to  New  York  about  the  year  1876. 

He  was  quick,  active,  energetic,  full  of  force  and 
never  plunged  unless  he  thoroughly  understood  the 
route  he  was  going  to  take. 

His  last  fight  upon  the  Board  in  San  Francisco  was 
against  the  Bonanza  crowd,  that  is,  Mackay,  Flood, 
O'Brien  and  Fair,  when  he  broke  the  stock  of  "Con- 
solidated Virginia"  and  ''California"  from  about  $300 
to  $60. 

Keene  is  well  known  in  New  York.  He  has  at  times 
faced  heavy  losses,  but  always  with  calmness.  He 
seems  to  enjoy  the  game  of  "bulling  and  bearing" 
stocks,  and  on  Wall  Street  is,  and  has  been  a  factor 
to  be  considered,  whenever  interested  in  any  deal. 
He  is  now  past  seventy  years  of  age,  but  his  recent 
fight  against  the  Harriman  crowd  for  the  control  of 
the  Southern  Pacific,  proves  him  to  be  as  unyielding 
and  combative  as  when  thirty  years  ago  he  fought 

206 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         207 

the  Bonanza  crowd  on  the  stock  board  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

High  spirited  and  courageous,  he  never  knows  defeat, 
but  when  worsted,  gathers  his  forces  and  renews  the 
fight. 

He  is  the  incarnation  of  speculation,  and  the  best 
stock  manipulator  on  the  continent. 

The  late  John  William  Mackay  was  one  of  the  strong- 
est figures  that  ever  appeared  in  California.  It  was 
said  that  he  was  born  in  Dublin  in  1831,  and  was  a 
descendant  of  that  Highland  Mackay  Clan  whose 
chieftain  went  down  in  the  battle  of  Flodden. 

He  reached  the  Golden  State  some  time  after  the 
Argonauts  appeared  in  1849.  He  at  once  entered  the 
mining  struggle  in  which  all  were  engaged,  lost  and 
won,  then  drifted  to  Virginia  City  about  1860.  The 
ups  and  downs  of  life  had  made  him  brave,  courageous 
and  persistent,  imdaunted  in  misfortune,  prudent  in 
success. 

About  1875  he  held  the  position,  unchallenged,  of 
"The  Great  Bonanza  King."  And  even  upon  this 
pedestal  he  bore  himself  with  that  modesty  which 
adorned  his  life. 

John  W.  Mackay,  James  G.  Fair,  James  O'Brien 
and  James  G.  Flood  were  partners  in  the  company 
controlling  the  "ConsoHdated  Virginia"  and  "Califor- 
nia" mines.  They  bought  the  ground  and  at  a  depth 
of  twelve  hundred  feet  uncovered  a  body  of  ore  that 
yielded  a  gross  return  of  about  $200,000,000,  the 
dividends  amounting  to  $80,000,000. 


208         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

This  company  was  a  strong  combination. 

Flood  managed  the  financial  part  of  the  business  in 
San  Francisco,  the  selling,  buying  and  general  manipu- 
lation of  stock. 

Fair  had  charge  of  all  the  underground  work  and  the 
reduction  of  the  ores. 

James  O'Brien  was  the  "good  fellow,"  running  with 
the  boys,  drinking  good  brandy  and  giving  them 
"pointers." 

John  W.  Mackay,  who  organized  this  company,  was 
the  chief  counsellor  and  advisor,  the  final  arbiter  in  all 
matters  of  importance.  He  was  the  executive  manager. 
The  one  who,  with  keen  foresight,  made  the  plans, 
and  he  more  than  any  in  the  firm,  brought  the  brilliant 
Success  which  made  all  his  associates  multi-millionaires. 

He  returned  from  the  Comstock  with  a  fortune 
variously  estimated  at  from  $40,000,000  to  $50,000,000. 

His  life  afterwards  showed  him  to  be  a  man  capable 
of  large  undertakings  and  at  the  same  time  he  has 
never  lost  his  sympathy  with  those  less  fortunate  in 
the  race  for  wealth.  To  the  few  of  his  friends  who 
were  alive  up  to  the  period  of  his  death,  he  v/as  still 
the  same  John  Mackay  of  the  earlier  days  on  the  Com- 
stock, when  he  carried  his  dinner  pail  to  his  daily  labor. 
And  no  one  conversant  with  his  life,  filled  with  noble 
and  generous  deeds,  for  a  moment  could  envy  him  the 
proud  position  he  achieved  in  the  financial  v/oridv 

Mackay  was  in  no  sense  a  gambler,  but  rather  & 
developer  of  industrial  enterprises. 

To  his  initiative  and  that  of  James  Gordon  Bennetts 


Senator  George  Hearst,  a  Great 
Miner. — Page  215. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         209 

the  commercial  world  owes  much  in  establishing  a 
rival  Atlantic  Cable  and  breaking  up  what  threatened 
to  be  a  dangerous  monopoly. 

Mrs.  Mackay's  first  husband  was  Dr.  Bryant,  a 
young  man  of  fine  attainments  as  a  physician,  who 
hved  in  Downieville,  California  and  died  about  the 
year  1861.  His  widow  being  poor,  joined  the  great 
rush  to  Virginia  City,  where  for  a  time  she  taught 
school.  She  finally  married  John  W.  Mackay.  Every- 
one knows  of  her  triumphs  in  the  European  social 
world,  where  she  has  shone  brilliantly  in  the  American 
Colony  of  Paris  for  the  last  twenty  years.  Her  purse 
was  always  open  to  those  who  aided  and  befriended 
her  in  the  days  of  her  poverty. 

James  G.  Fair  was  a  miner  and  a  good  one.  In 
point  of  cunning  and  shrewdness  the  fox  could  not 
out-rival  him. 

Once  in  exploiting  some  mine,  I  think  it  was  the 
"Moscow,"  which  was  off  the  main  vein  of  the  Com- 
stock,  "Jimmie"  met  the  superintendent  of  the  mine 
one  day,  on  the  street.  "Do  you  know  a  first-class 
man,"  asked  the  superintendent,  "to  run  a  diamo3A^ 
drill?" 

"Yes,"  replied  "Jimmie,"  in  his  drawling  way,  "I 
know  one  but  he  is  an  awful  rascal,  one  of  the  biggest 
scoundrels  I  ever  met." 

The  superintendent  assured  him  it  was  not  a  question 
of  character  but  of  skill  in  running  a  diamond  drill, 
and  asked  Fair  to  send  the  man  to  him. 


210         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

"Oh  no,"  said  "  Jimmie,"  "I— I  wont  speak  to  him, 
he  is  such  a  scoundrel." 

"Can  you  tell  me  where  he  lives?"  the  superintendent 
asked. 

"No,"  was  the  reply,  but  sonney,  I  will  try  and  find 
out  for  you." 

The  matter  dropped  for  three  or  four  days.  Then 
the  superintendent  met  Fair  and  asked  him  if  he  had 
found  where  the  man  lived. 

"N-no,"  slowly  said  Fair,  "I  ain't  heard  of  him — 
he  is  such  a  scoundrel." 

"I  do  not  care  what  he  is,"  again  reiterated  the 
superintendent,  "I  want  him  for  the  work." 

"Well,  well,"  Fair  hesitatingly  said,  looking  across 
the  street,  "there  he  is,  you  go  and  talk  to  him.  He 
is  such  a  rascal.     But  he  can  run  a  diamond  drill." 

The  superintendent  engaged  the  man,  the  diamond 
drill  was  set  in  motion.  Drillings  were  found  to  rise 
in  value  every  day,  by  the  superintendent's  assays. 
"Moscow"  stock  began  to  appreciate  and  was  in  much 
demand. 

"Well — well,"  says  "Uncle  Jimmie,"  "they  do  seem 
to  want  my  '  Moscow'  stock.  I  reckon  I  will  let  them 
have  it." 

And  he  did,  at  a  good  price. 

Mr.  Fair  had  a  servant  girl  who  had  earned  a  con- 
siderable amount  in  wages.  She  was  taken  with  the 
speculative  fever,  so  common  among  all  classes  of 
people  in  California,  at  that  time.  She  went  to  "Uncle 
Jimmie"  and  solicited  points. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  211 

"Well  well,"  said  he,  "so  you  want  to  speculate? 
Don't  do  it.  You  know,  my  girl,  you  might  lose  your 
money.     It  is  a  dangerous  game." 

"But,"  said  the  girl,  "everybody  is  making  money. 
I  have  $400  and  I  want  to  invest." 

Fair  would  not  listen  to  her  then,  but  after  much 
urging  he  finally  yielded  and  said: 

"You  must  not  tell  anybody  living  what  I  am  advis- 
ing you  to  do." 

"  Oh  no,  Mr.  Fair,  I  wont,"  replied  the  unsophisticated 
maid. 

"Well,  well,  I  beHeve  you  wont,"  said  Fair,  hesita- 
tingly, and  looking  in  her  face.     "  Go  and  buy  '  Ophir.' " 

The  girl  explained  that  she  did  not  know  how  to 
buy,  and  handed  her  money  over  to  Fair,  $400. 

As  soon  as  the  evening  meal  was  over  the  servant 
girl,  in  her  best  dress,  strolled  over  to  Mrs.  O'Sullivan's, 
Miss  Finnigan's  and  the  others  of  her  set,  and  confi- 
dentally  gave  away  the  information  that  Mr.  Fair  had 
given  her  on  the  matter  of  "Ophir,"  and  that  "Uncle 
Jimmie"  had  told  her  that  "Ophir"  was  going  up. 

All  the  Irish  in  Virginia  City  and  the  Catholics  in 
general  began  to  buy  "Ophir"  stock. 

It  is  supposed  that  "Uncle  Jimmie"  had  sold  it  "short." 
In  a  few  weeks  "Ophir"  began  to  slump.  It  went 
down,  down,  as  rapidly  as  it  had  gone  up. 

The  servant  girl  went  to  her  employer  in  much 
trepidation,  and  said: 

"Mr.  Fair,  I  suppose  I  have  lost  my  money." 


212  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

"Lost  your  money!"  echoed  Fair,  apparently  sur- 
prised. 

"Yes,"  moaned  the  girl,  "  you  told  me  to  buy '  Ophir,' 
and  I  gave  you  my  money  to  invest  in  it." 

"Well, well," replied  "Foxy  Grandpa,"  "buy  'Ophir' 
— perhaps  I  did,  Mary.  I  had  forgotten  all  about  it. 
Here  is  your  money,  Mary,  and  take  my  advice  and 
don't  buy  any  stocks.  What  you  should  do  is  to  get 
you  a  big  Mick  to  protect  you." 

Many  stories  are  told  of  Fair,  illustrating  his  shrewd- 
ness and  his  keen  sense  of  humor. 

He  found  once  a  youngster  on  the  mine  not  more 
than  twenty  years  old. 

"Well,  sonney,"  said  he,  so  you  came  all  the  way 
from  New  York  here,  all  the  way?" 

The  boy  answered  in  the  affirmative. 

"Well,  well,  I  declare,"  soliloquized  Fair,  "and  you 
were  not  afraid  of  Injuns,  and  you  had  no  fear  of  getting 
lost,  or  being  stolen  an'  tortured,  an'  an' — "- 

"Confound  you,"  yelled  the  youngster,  "I  know 
what  I  am  doing,  if  I  ain't  more  than  twenty." 

"Well,  sonney,"  apologetically  continued  Fair,  "I 
didn't  mean  to  insult  you.  Give  me  your  hand.  I 
like  you." 

And  the  young  man  was  promoted. 

A  crowd  of  eastern  people  visited  the  Comstock. 
They  wanted  to  go  into  the  mine.  When  there,  they 
met  Fair,  mistaking  him  for  the  overseer.  He  showed 
them  through.  As  if  they  were  being  attented  by  an 
eastern  waiter,  they  handed  him  a  $5  note  as  they 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  Califorxia         213 

passed  out.  Fair  as  gravely  took  it  and  put  it  in  his 
pocket. 

He  would  go  down  in  the  mine  where  smoking  was 
strictly  prohibited,  on  account  of  danger  from  fires 
or  explosions. 

"Well,  sonney,"  he  would  say  to  one,  "ain't  you 
got  a  pipe?     I  feel  like  taking  a  smoke." 

The  unsuspecting  miner  produced  his  pipe.  Fair 
would  smoke  a  few  seconds,  then  go  to  the  surface 
and  limit  up  the  superintendent  and  say: 

"Discharge  that  man  on  the  west  drift,  I  got  his 
pipe  and  it  was  hot." 

On  another  occasion  he  said  to  another: 

"Do  you  think  this  ore  will  go  thirty  ounces  to  the 
ton?" 

"Oh,  more  than  that,  Mr.  Fair,"  returned  the  man, 
"it  will  go  sixty  ounces,  sure." 

"Well,  well,  I  declare!  You  don't  say  so!"  was 
the  comment  of  Mr.  Fair. 

Immediately  the  superintendent  received  instructions 
to  discharge  the  man. 

"He  knows  too  much,"  the  reason  given. 

A  few  days  after.  Fair  met  the  man  who  had  been 
discharged. 

"Well,  sonney,  how  about  that  ore?" 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  that  ore.  I  have 
been  discharged,"  was  the  curt  reply. 

"Discharged!"  echoed  Foxj^  Fair,  "well,  well,  I 
declare!  that  cuss  is  all  the  time  gettin'  rid  of  my  best 
men." 


214  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

By  and  by  the  workmen  all  understood  his  way 
and  not  a  soul  knew  anything. 

This  Bonanza  firm  in  1874  established  the  Nevada 
bank  in  San  Francisco,  with  a  capital  of  $5,000,000, 
before  the  bonanzas  of  the  "Consolidated  Virginia" 
and  "California"  were  worked  out.  Some  time  about 
the  year  '77,  Fair,  owing  to  some  disagreement  with 
Mackay  and  Flood,  retired  from  the  firm. 

Mackay  became  heavily  interested  in  the  Postal 
Telegraph  Company.  The  war  clouds  began  to  gather 
in  Europe  and  a  struggle  between  Germany  and  France 
seemed  certain.  The  Nevada  bank  bought  up  most 
of  the  wheat  in  the  state  at  fanc)^  figures,  thereby 
sustaining  a  heavy  loss.  Mackay  came  to  San  Francisco 
and  was  straining  every  nerve  to  save  his  bank.  Meet- 
ing Fair  on  the  street,  "Uncle  Jimmie"  asked  if  the 
Nevada  bank  was  in  trouble.  Mackay  replied  that 
it  was,  that  his  money  was  so  tied  up  that  he  could 
not  relieve  it,  and  unless  relieved  it  would  have  to 
close  its  doors. 

"I  do  not  care  for  my  own  investment,"  said  Mac- 
kay, "but  cannot  bear  the  idea  of  the  laboring  men 
and  others,  among  our  depositors,  losing  their  money." 

"How  much  do  you  require?"  asked  Fair. 

"Three  millions,"  was  the  reply. 

"I  will  let  you  have  it,"  volunteered  Fair. 

"On  what  security?" 

"No  security  from  you.     Your  note  is  sufficient." 

"Uncle  Jimmie"  advanced  the  money,  saved  the 
bank  and  rescued  his  old  friend,  comrade  and  partner 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         215 

from  great  pecuniary  loss  and  a  world  of  trouble  and 
humiliation,  which  showed  Fair  in  the  general  and 
final  analysis  to  be  a  generous  hearted  and  magnanimous 
man. 

I  first  became  acquainted  with  George  Hearst  ex- 
United  States  Senator,  from  California,  and  father  of 
William  Randolph  Hearst  of  world  wide  newspaper 
fame,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature  of  Cali- 
fornia from  San  Francisco,  in  1865.  A  few  years 
later,  I  think  about  1870,  he  became  prominent  in  a 
suit  against  the  Raymond  &  Ely  mine,  of  Pioche, 
Nevada,  known  as  the  Hermes  vs.  The  Raymond  & 
Ely.  Mr.  Hearst  lost  his  suit  and  with  it  his  accu- 
mulations. 

Prior  to  this  he  had  married  a  most  estimable  lady, 
from  Missouri,  who  was,  I  have  been  told,  a  school 
teacher.  From  1870  to  1872  he  was  financially  em- 
barrassed and,  had  his  creditors  pressed  him,  would 
have  been  insolvent  to  the  amount  of  several  hun- 
dred thousands  of  dollars.  But  the  energy  of  the 
man  was  never  more  conspicuously  displayed  than 
when  the  tide  of  fortune  was  against  him. 

J.  B.  Haggin  was  his  friend.  Believing  in  his  judg- 
ment as  a  miner  and  his  integrity  as  a  man,  and  thor- 
oughly realizing  that  he  was  incapable  of  betraying 
a  trust,  he  backed  him,  cautiously  at  first,  in  his  mining 
operations.  He  put  up  all  the  money  and  gave  George 
Hearst  one-third  of  the  profits.  His  first  successful 
operation  was  the  purchase  of  the  ''Ontario"  mine 
in   Utah.    A  mining   prospect  for  which   they  paid 


216         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 


.000,  carrying  a  tenth  for  R.  C.  Chambers,  who 
had  brought  the  property  to  their  attention.  When 
the  mine  was  sufficiently  exploited  Haggin  sold  a  half 
interest  in  New  York  for  $1,000,000,  which  placed 
George  Hearst  on  his  feet.  The  mine  has  since  de- 
clared dividends  of  about  $12,000,000. 

R.  C.  Chambers  out  of  his  tenth  interest  became  a 
millionaire,  and  died  recently  in  San  Francisco. 

Hearst  next  acquired  the  "Sheep's  Head"  gold  mine 
in  California,  and  the  "  Juacaschuta,"  in  Sonora,  Mexico. 
He  rapidly  acquired  other  mines  and  made  several 
millions  out  of  them. 

The  "Homestake"  mine  in  South  Dakota  was 
brought  to  San  Francisco  by  John  Sevenoakes,  who 
was  well  known  in  mining  circles  on  the  Pacific  coast, 
in  the  beginning  of  1874.  My  brother,  W.  A.  Farish, 
was  sent  out  by  a  syndicate  of  San  Francisco,  to  ex- 
amine and  report  on  it.  He  recommended  the  pur- 
chase and  it  was  bought  for  $80,000.  Haggin  and 
Hearst  secured  a  one-third  interest.  But  a  short  time 
elapsed  before  they  owned  the  whole  property,  and 
also  purchased  all  the  valuable  properties  in  the  entire 
district.  This  has  proved  one  of  the  riches  mines 
ever  uncovered  in  the  history  of  the  precious  metals. 

The  next  successful  venture  of  George  Hearst  was 
the  purchase  of  the  "Anaconda"  mine  in  Butte,  Mon- 
tana. This  was  bought  as  a  silver  mine.  After 
prospecting  it  to  a  depth  of  400  feet  a  large  body  of 
very  rich  copper  ore,  carrying  silver  and  gold,  was 
disclosed.    The  ledge,  which  was  from  15  to  20  feet 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         217 

on  the  surface,  by  the  displacement  of  the  walls  was 
100  feet  wide  where  the  copper  was  encountered. 
Having  been  leeched  above,  the  copper  was  precip- 
itated at  this  point  and  formed  a  zone  of  enrichment 
which  has  never  been  excelled  in  the  history  of  copper 
mining.  The  ore  averaged  about  50  per  cent  copper, 
besides  gold  and  silver.  Messrs.  Haggin  &  Hearst  de- 
veloped it  thoroughly  before  putting  up  machinery.  I 
have  been  told  that  their  investment  amounted  to  be- 
tween $4,000,000,  and  $5,000,000  before  they  shipped 
any  copper  or  copper  ore.  This  mine  has  been  famous 
for  more  than  twenty  years  as  one  of  the  largest  pro- 
ducers in  the  West,  and  is  at  present  controlled  by  the 
Amalgamated  Copper  Co. 

George  Hearst  and  J.  B.  Haggin,  known  as  the  firm 
of  Hearst  &  Haggin,  were  in  no  sense  gamblers  in 
mining  stocks.  Hearst,  whose  life  had  been,  to  a 
great  extent  spent  under  ground,  whose  experience 
had  been  gathered  in  the  hard  school  of  toil  and  obser- 
vation, was  one  of  the  best  judges  of  an  undeveloped 
mine  I  have  ever  known.  He  established  a  reputa- 
tion among  mining  men  for  honesty  and  fair  dealing 
that  was  wealth  to  the  firm,  more  than  could  be  esti- 
mated. Every  prospector  or  miner  brought  property 
to  their  attention.  If  upon  examination  it  looked 
well  they  took  hold  of  it.  If  he  found  the  miner  or 
prospector  presenting  the  property  for  examination  to 
be  competent  and  reliable,  he  was  placed  in  charge 
as  superintendent  at  a  good  salary.  When  the  prospect 
was  opened  to  a  point  where  it  required    machinery, 


218         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Hearst  would  go  and  examine  it  personally.  If  every- 
thing was  satisfactory  he  would  tell  Haggin  to  honor 
the  superintendent's  draft  for  whatever  was  required. 

When  the  mine  was  placed  upon  a  paying  basis  it 
was  incorporated,  one  tenth  of  the  stock  was  held  for 
the  superintendent,  which  he  could  dispose  of  as  he 
saw  fit,  only  paying  them  his  proportionate  part  of 
the  cost  at  small  interest.  They  would  sell  enough 
stock  to  reimburse  themselves  for  the  work  done,  still 
retaining  control. 

Their  reputation  as  mining  men  was  so  well  estab- 
lished in  New  York  that  whenever  any  of  their  property 
was  laid  before  the  investing  public,  whatever  they  had 
to  sell  would  be  sold  within  a  week.  For  it  was  a  well- 
established  fact  that  George  Hearst  never  sold  "gold 
bricks,"  but  always  gold  bars.  Their  success  was 
wonderful. 

George  Hearst  died,  and,  dating  his  accumulations 
from  his  first  strike  in  the  "Ontario,"  he  left  a  fortune 
variously  estimated  at  from  $15,000,000  to  $20,000,000, 
acquired  in  about  fifteen  years.  His  estate  has  probably 
doubled  since. 

No  old  Calif ornian,  nor,  in  fact,  any  right-minded  man, 
for  a  moment  begrudged  him  his  good  fortune.  To  all 
who  knew  him  he  was  to  the  end  of  his  life  plain  George 
Hearst,  not  rich  in  scholarly  lore,  but  wise  in  worldly 
wisdom,  bold  in  his  enterprises,  simple  in  his  manner, 
honest  in  his  dealing  with  his  fellow-man. 

His  word  could  always  be  depended  on;  it  was  abso- 
lutely sacred,  no  matter  if  millions  were  involved.     He 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         219 

never  sought  aggrandisement  at  the  expense  of  friend- 
ship, and  those  who  stood  by  him  in  the  hour  of  his 
adversity  were  richly  rewarded  when  change  of  fortune 
came  to  him. 

Through  the  untiring  energy  and  indomitable  will 
of  the  man  his  wealth  was  created,  and  he  is  recognized 
to-day  as  having  been  one  of  the  best  miners  and  prac- 
tical engineers  the  Western  Continent  has  produced. 

Among  the  prominent  families  in  southern  California, 
none  obtained  greater  recognition  than  that  of  John 
Bradbury.  He  was  a  native  of  Maine  and  came  West 
at  the  time  of  the  Mexican  war,  and  finally  found  his 
way  into  California  as  one  of  the  early  pioneers.  From 
there  he  drifted  into  the  State  of  Sinaloa,  in  the  Republic 
of  Mexico,  where  he  used  the  knowledge  he  had  gained 
in  California  in  prospecting  for  mines.  Among  the 
properties  he  investigated  was  the  old  Mina  del  Tajo, 
situated  at  the  little  town  of  Rosario,  about  forty  miles 
south  of  Mazatlan.  This  property  had  been  worked 
in  ancient  times  and  its  history  extended  back  into  the 
period  of  tradition,  but  at  the  time  of  the  Revolt  against 
the  Spanish  rule  and  the  expulsion  of  the  Spaniards 
the  mine  was  closed,  and  had  been  abandoned  till  Brad- 
bury appeared  upon  the  scene.  I  think  it  was  in  1852 
that  he  obtained  possession  of  the  property  and  returned 
to  California  and  enlisted  a  few  of  his  San  Francisco 
friends  in  a  company  to  operate  it.  The  working 
capital  was  exhausted  and  enough  vicissitudes  were 
encountered  to  discourage  an  ordinary  man,  but  Brad- 
bury stuck  to  the  property  and  a  few  years  later  was 


220         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

rewarded  by  the  discovery  of  the  lost  shoot  of  ore. 
From  that  time  to  the  present  the  property  has  been 
profitably  worked, — a  period  of  upwards  of  fifty  years, 
— and  has  yielded  a  constant  revenue  to  his  heirs  and 
descendants. 

A  residence  in  Mexico  covering  this  period  could 
not  fail  to  be  fruitful  of  many  adventures,  one  of  which 
is  particularly  worthy  of  note  as  showing  the  character 
of  Bradbury.  Wars,  revolutions  and  rebellions  fill  a 
large  part  of  the  history  of  Mexico  until  1880.  At 
one  time  the  war  would  be  between  one  set  of  political 
aspirants  and  at  another  period  between  a  different  set. 
During  one  of  these  revolutions  the  present  President 
of  the  Republic,  Porfirio  Diaz,  was  a  fugitive  from  his 
fellow  countrymen,  Juarez  and  Gonzales.  His  followers 
were  dispersed  and  he  himself  reached  Bradbury's 
hacienda  in  a  sad  plight.  Many  of  his  friends  in  the 
State  of  Sinaloa  were  also  fugitives.  In  this  condition, 
Diaz  appealed  to  Bradbury,  with  the  result  that  he 
was  hidden  in  the  mine  for  quite  a  period.  His  fol- 
lowers were  secreted  by  Bradbury  within  the  walls  of 
the  hacienda,  above  which  he  raised  the  American  flag, 
and  this  gave  the  hunted  Mexicans  the  protection  of 
the  stars  and  stripes.  Among  those  who  took  refuge 
was  a  yomig  Mexican  lady,  who  attracted  the  attention 
of  Bradbury  and  who  later  became  his  wife. 

Diaz  never  forgot  his  debt  of  gratitude  to  Bradbury 
and  whenever  any  of  his  relatives  visit  the  capital  of 
the  Mexican  Republic  they  are  made  welcome  in 
the  family  circle  of  the  President. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

In  the  year  1871  San  Francisco  was  honored  by  the 
presence  of  two  men  named  Arnold  and  Slack,  who 
had  made  a  trip  over-land  from  Arizona. 

On  their  way  they  had  discovered  some  quartz 
crystals  and  a  species  of  garnets,  the  former  greatly 
resembling  diamonds  and  the  latter  Oriental  rubies. 

When  they  arrived  in  that  city  they  exliibited  them 
to  George  D.  Roberts,  requesting  him  to  have  them 
tested.  Roberts,  not  being  an  expert  in  precious 
stones,  advised  them  to  take  them  to  a  party  named 
Tucker,  at  that  time  a  prominent  jeweler  on  Mont- 
gomery Street.  Tucker  referred  them  to  a  French 
lapidary,  stating  that  he  would  be  able  to  afford  them 
all  the  information  they  required.  The  lapidary,  to 
their  great  chagrin  and  disappointment,  instantly 
stated  that  the  stones  were  of  no  value. 

This  was  a  heavy  blow  to  their  great  hopes  and 
expectations,  for  they  had  cherished  the  idea  that 
they  had  made  a  rich  discovery. 

Then  Arnold  and  Slack  conceived  the  idea  of  putting 
into  execution  "The  Great  Diamond  Swindle." 

In  order  to  carry  out  their  plans  it  was  necessary 
that  they  should  have  some  genuine  diamonds. 

221 


222         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

The  next  thing  was  how  to  procure  them. 

It  is  not  definitely  known  how  they  became  pos- 
sessed of  the  first  half  dozen,  the  general  impression 
being  that  they  obtained  them  through  a  party  by 
the  name  of  Cooper,  who  was  connected  with  a  dia- 
mond drill  company. 

After  they  had  obtained  these  first  diamond  stones 
the  next  thought  was,  who  would  be  the  best  subject 
to  operate  on.  George  D.  Roberts,  of  all  men  in  San 
Francisco,  was  the  most  available  for  their  purpose. 
They  felt  assured  that  he  would  not  suspect  them  of 
attempting  to  deceive  him,  being  a  Southern  man  him- 
seK  and  of  the  same  political  creed  as  themselves  (secess- 
ionists) known  as  a  sharp,  shrewd  business  man,  and 
standing  well  in  the  community.  They  knowing  this 
fact,  and  he  secured,  they  could  easily  reach  all  the 
monied   channels  of   San   Francisco. 

They  proceeded  back  again  to  Roberts,  and  exhibited 
the  real  diamonds  they  had  obtained  together  with 
the  crystals,  and  imformed  him  that  they  could  not 
find  any  party  to  give  them  reliable  information  re- 
garding these  stones,  but  wished  him  to  send  them 
East  and  have  them  tested  at  their  own  expense. 

He  did  so. 

Arnold  and  Slack  had  not  at  this  time  any  occupa- 
tion, but  were  waiting  in  the  interval  the  results  of 
the  examination,  when  in  due  season  the  stones  were 
returned  to  Roberts  (cut)  and  a  certain  number  of 
them  marked  by  the  diamond  operator  "Genuine" 
also  one  weighing  a  carat,  and  of  very  fine  quality. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         223 

This  result  excited  Roberts  to  such  a  pitch  that  he 
sent  for  Arnold  and  Slack  to  come  to  his  office,  and 
without  telling  them  the  results  of  the  examination 
proceeded  to  question  them  as  to  the  whereabouts  of 
the  place  they  had  discovered  the  stones. 

They  replied  that  they  had  obtained  them  from 
an  Indian,  and  that  the  Indian  had  taken  them  to 
the  spot  from  whence  he  had  gotten  them,  and,  describ- 
ing the  formation,  said  that  the  surface  of  the  groimd 
had  been  raised  up  by  the  ants,  but  they,  not  knowing 
their  value,  brought  them  to  him  that  he  might  have 
them  tested.  Roberts  on  hearing  this  information, 
feared  that  the  Indian  would  pilot  some  other  man  to 
the  diamond  mines,  but  Arnold  satisfied  him  on  this 
head  most  thoroughly  by  saying  that  dead  Indians 
never  told  tales. 

Up  to  this  point  the  diamond  discovery  was  no 
secret.  A  great  many  people  were  cognizant  of  its 
existence. 

Roberts  now  instructed  Arnold  and  Slack  to  tell 
every  one  the  stones  they  had  sent  East  had  been 
returned  and  found  to  be  of  no  value.  The  next  thing 
was  to  fit  Arnold  and  Slack  out  for  them  to  return  to 
the  ground  from  whence  the  valuables  had  been  ob- 
tained. 

About  six  months  previous  to  this  Roberts  had 
purchased  some  mining  property  from  Arnold,  the 
price  being  $25,000.  He  paid  $5,000  down  and  gave 
his  note  for  the  balance.  At  this  juncture  and  on 
the  eve  of  their  departure  for  the  diamond  mines  Arnold 


224         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

informed  Roberts  that  they  must  have  the  money 
for  his  note  ($20,000)  before  leaving. 

The  next  morning  Arnold's  wife  who  was  then  living 
in  the  city,  presented  herself  in  Robert's  office  in  a 
state  of  great  excitement,  and  told  Roberts  that  Arnold 
was  going  off  on  some  wild  goose  chase,  and  for  him 
not  to  pay  the  money,  as  it  belonged  to  her.  Arnold 
and  his  wife  apparently  quarrelled  for  three  or  four 
days  in  the  most  violent  manner,  finally  ending  their 
difficulties  by  agreeing  to  separate.  Arnold  agreeing 
that  if  she  would  leave  and  never  come  near  him  again 
she  might  have  the  $20,000. 

Roberts  during  this  time  had  been  endeavoring  to 
secure  harmony  and  peace  between  them,  but  find- 
ing this  impossible,  he  paid  over  the  money  to  her, 
and  she  left  for  parts  unknown  to  him. 

All  this  quarrel  had  been  arranged  before,  between 
Arnold  and  his  wife,  to  deceive  Roberts,  and  to  make 
him  believe  that  he  had  no  money  to  purchase  diamonds 
when  the  time  should  come  to  procure  them  in  quantity, 
on  Arnold's  return  from  a  second  trip  to  the  diamond 
fields,  and  with  a  purpose  always  in  view,  Roberts  fitted 
Arnold  and  Slack  with  animals,  guns  and  provisions  for 
a   three   month's   expedition    to    this   new   discovery. 

At  this  time  Harpending,  a  friend  of  Roberts,  was 
in  London,  and  Roberts  wrote  him  informing  him  of 
this  great  diamond  discovery,  and  in  due  season  received 
a  reply  from  Harpending  stating  that  he  did  not  be- 
lieve a  wprd  of  itj  and  that  Slack  and  Arnold  could 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  225 

not  be  relied  upon  for  any  statement  as  to  these  great 
findings  of  diamonds. 

Roberts  now  waited  with  great  impatience  and  in- 
tense anxiety  for  the  return  of  these  diamond  seekers. 

Where  Arnold  and  Slack  spent  the  three  months 
they  were  absent  is  not  definitely  known,  all  traces  of 
them  being  clothed  in  mystery,  the  only  known  facts 
being  that  Arnold  had  friends  in  St.  Louis  and  joined  his 
wife  there.  Little  doubt  exists,  however,  that  he 
went  to  London  and   purchased   the  genuine  stones. 

At  the  expiration  of  three  months  Roberts  had  the 
satisfaction  of  beholding  the  faces  of  these  two  great 
explorers,  but  in  the  most  pitiable,  woe-begone  and 
desolate   condition,   ragged,   dirty  and  miserable. 

They  told  Roberts  a  most  heart-rending  story  of  the 
many  hardships  they  had  endured,  how  the  Apache 
Indians  had  taken  capture  of  them  when  near  the 
diamond  fields,  how  they  had  taken  from  them  all 
they  possessed,  finally,  that  they  had  hardly  escaped 
with  their  lives  arriving  at  the  mines  in  the  most  desti- 
tute condition,  with  provisions,  animals  and  everything 
all  gone. 

That  in  this  sad  plight  they  had  only  remained  at 
the  mines  two  days,  having  no  tools  to  work  with,  all 
that  was  left  them  was  a  piece  of  an  old  shovel,  with 
which  they  plied,  digging  most  vigorously.  They 
however  exhibited  a  buckskin  bag,  or  purse,  well  filled 
with  diamonds  of  all  sizes  and  forms,  and  also  a  large 
collection  of  rubies,  stating  that  they  were  the  product 
of  two  days  labor. 


226  The  Gold  Huntees  of  California 

The  diamonds  were  evidently  purchased  from  some 
dealer  who  sold  them  as  refuse  stones,  but  Roberts, 
not  being  an  expert,  and  being  all  unsuspicious  of 
his  "friends,"  supposed  that  they  were  of  the  finest 
quality,  and  worth,  at  least  $100,000,  and  with  this 
idea  of  their  value  he  was  satisfied  with  the  great,  good- 
fortune  that  had  fallen  to  his  lot. 

He  immediately  sent  these  stones  to  the  East  to  a 
prominent  and  well-known  diamond  merchant  to  be 
tested. 

They  were  returned  pronounced  genuine,  and  the 
value  estimated  at  $120,000,  and  great  was  Robert's 
joy  at  his  good  fortune. 

Roberts  then  went  to  New  York  and  made  a  condi- 
tional sale  of  one  fourth  interest  of  these  mines  to 
Tiffany  &  Company,  the  leading  fashionable  jeweler 
of  that  city,  for  $250,000,  with  the  proviso,  that  an 
examination  should  be  made  by  a  New  York  man 
of  their  own  selection,  and  to  be  sent  by  them  for  that 
purpose. 

Slack  objected  to  this  sale,  stating  that  there  was 
no  law  then  in  existence  by  which  these  lands  could 
be  located  and  held,  and  that  Tiffany  or  any  other 
party  might  go  on  this  ground  and  obtain  as  many 
rights  as  they  possessed,  and  that  no  man  should  ever 
know  their  position  until  he  was  paid  $100,000,  stating 
that  this  amount  was  all  that  he  would  ever  need 
during  his  life. 

Arnold,  to  all  appearance  was  quarreling  with  Slack 
and  trying  by  every  means  in  his  power  to  get  Slack 


The  Gold  Hunters  or  California         227 

to  acquiesce  in  this  arrangement  with  Tiffany.  Slack, 
however,  held  out  firmly  to  the  last.  Arnold  then  said 
that  not  one  dollar  less  than  $500,000,  would  purchase 
his  interest. 

During  this  period  Harpending  had  returned  from 
England  and  became  a  firm  believer  in  the  great  dia- 
mond discovery. 

He  immediately  placed  the  matter  before  his  friend, 
W.  M.  Lent,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  the  money 
to  buy  out  Slack.  Now  Lent  was  just  the  man  to  put 
his  money  in  a  "dead  sure  thing,"  so  Lent  said  that  if 
Slack  and  Arnold  would  put  into  his  hands  the  sack 
of  diamonds  and  rubies  as  a  guarantee  that  the  mines 
would  prove  of  the  character  represented  by  them 
he  would  furnish  the  cash  required. 

To  this  Slack  agreed  and  Lent  paid  $100,000  in 
gold  coin.  Lent  placed  the  sack  containing  the  diamonds 
in  Harpending's  safe,  at  his  private  residence,  for 
safe  keeping.  The  principal  owners  of  these  precious 
stones  made  it  their  business,  and  it  was  doubtless  a 
great  pleasure  also,  to  assemble  in  the  billiard  room 
in  Harpending's  house  with  closed  doors,  every  Sun- 
day, where  they  would  empty  the  diamonds  from  the 
sack  on  the  billiard  table  and  speculate  on  the  value 
of  each  particular  stone,  descanting  upon  the  size, 
beauty,  brilliancy  and  value  of  each  one.  The  only 
fear  being  that  a  great  depreciation  of  their  values  and 
of  all  diamonds  might  take  place  when  the  contents  of 
this  sack  and  the  fact  that  the  great  find  of  precious 
stones  was  given  to  the  world. 


228         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

But  Tiffany  soon  allayed  their  fears  on  this  score 
by  stating  that  they  would  have  to  produce  $1,000,000,- 
000,  worth  of  these  gems  before  they  could  possibly 
decline  much  in  value. 

This  quieted  their  fears  and  perturbations  for  the 
moment.  There  was  no  law  at  that  time  in  existence 
by  which  these  diamond  mines  could  be  located  and 
held,  so  the  next  important  thing  to  be  done  was  to 
get  a  bill  through  Congress  as  soon  as  it  should  be  in 
session  in  Washington  by  which  a  title  could  be  ac- 
quired to  these  lands.  Immediately  a  prominent 
lobbyist  was  selected  to  engineer  and  pass  an  act  to 
cover  the  grounds  on  which  this  wonderful  discovery 
had  been  made.  They  well  knew  the  party  selected 
would  not  hesitate  or  stand  aghast,  if  called  upon  to 
deal  out  a  little  of  this  diamond  company's  stock  to 
any  pliable  member  of  Congress  that  would  aid  in 
passing  a  bill  of  so  much  seeming  importance  to  their 
interests. 

After  considerable  delay,  and  with  great  difficulty 
a  bill  was  passed  known  as  the  "Sargent's  Mining 
Bill,"  and  appeared  May  10th,  1872,  in  which  the 
following  language  is  inserted,  purposely  to  cover  the 
ground  of  this  discovery  of  precious  stones: 

"Including  all  forms  of  deposits  except  veins  of 
quartz  or  other  rock  then  in  place." 

During  the  time  this  bill  was  in  progress  for  passage, 
Harpending  and  Lent  had  gone  to  Europe. 

Up  to  this  time  Arnold  and  Slack  had  not  located  any 
diamond  mines,  except  in  their  imagination,  but  found 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         229 

themselves  possessing  $100,000,  paid  to  them  by  Lent. 

With  abundance  of  leisure  and  money  to  obtain  a 
fresh  supply  of  stones  and  locate  a  spot  to  deposit 
them  in,  Arnold  went  to  London,  by  way  of  Montreal 
and  purchased  a  quantity  of  diamonds  and  also  a 
bag  of  diamond  dust  for  the  purpose  of  salting  the 
ground  which  might  afterwards  be  selected  preparatory 
to  the  final  examination  which  would  be  made  by  the 
expert  approved  for  that  purpose  by  the  parties  inter- 
ested. 

Arnold  arrived  from  England  with  his  purchases, 
diamonds  and  dust.  Joining  Slack  they  immediately 
proceeded  together  to  locate  a  spot  corresponding  as 
nearly  as  possible  with  the  one  described  by  them  to 
Roberts  and  others  possessing  the  formation  as  stated, 
and  proceeded  to  do  the  amount  of  work  as  near  as 
possible,  as  they  had  represented  as  already  done, 
sowing  their  diamonds  and  dust  to  the  very  best  advan- 
tage. 

So  ingeniously  was  this  work  performed  that  when  the 
parties  came  to  examine  the  ground  they  found  that 
it  contained  microscopic  stones.  This  one  thing 
deceived  Jannin  more  than  any  other. 

Jannin's  only  trouble  was  that  he  over-estimated 
his  own  knowledge  and  under-estimated  the  parties 
he  was  dealing  with. 

After  this  was  all  completed,  Arnold  and  Slack  had 
only  to  wait  until  the  parties  interested  were  ready  for 
the  examination.  After  the  bill  passed  Congress,  by 
which  these  lands  were  to  be  located  and  secured. 


230         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

Harpending  and  Lent  returned  from  Europe,  and 
met  Arnold  and  Jannin,  the  expert  decided  upon  in 
New  York. 

All  proceeded  to  the  point  designated,  for  the  dia- 
mond mines,   to  make  the  examination. 

At  the  expiration  of  three  days  Jannin  was  entirely 
satisfied  with  the  value  of  the  mines  and  decided  it  a 
valuable  property. 

In  his  opinion  it  was  all  it  was  represented  to  be. 

They  then  returned  to  the  railway  station,  and 
telegraphed  to  Roberts,  in  San  Francisco  that  "it  was 
all  right,"  and  returned  to  New  York. 

Previous  to  this  trip,  Harpending,  Lent  and  Jannin 
proceeded   to   make   a   final   examination. 

When  in  New  York  they  arranged  with  Tiffany  and 
Company,  and  Barlow  to  incorporate  a  company  to 
raise  the  money  to  buy  out  Arnold's  interest,  paying 
him  $500,000.  Up  to  this  time  the  public  in  San 
Francisco  had  no  knowledge  of  this  diamond  mine 
being  in  existence.  As  soon  as  Jannin's  report  was 
written,  it  was  immediately  telegraphed  in  full  from 
New  York  to  California. 

The  moment  it  appeared  in  the  newspapers  it  created 
the  most  intense  excitement,  Jannin  being  a  man 
above  all  suspicion  with  the  monied  interest  of  San 
Francisco. 

Parties  in  New  York  had  now  gone  so  far  as  to  issue 
circular  letters  preparatory  to  opening  books  for  sub- 
scriptions for  this  stock. 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         231 

Wm.  C.  Ralston  had  been  previously  apprised  of  the 
great  diamond  find,  but  up  to  this  moment  had  most 
strenuously  declined  to  take  any  part  in  it.  After 
reading  Jannin's  report  and  seeing  the  great  excitement 
caused  by  it  among  the  people,  he  evidently  made  up 
his  mind  that  there  could  be  no  mistake  about  this  dis- 
covery of  diamonds.  Seeing  the  people  forwarding 
their  money  from  San  Francisco  to  New  York  to  pur- 
chase this  stock,  with  his  usual  perception  and  having 
an  eye  to  business,  he  telegraphed  the  parties  in  New 
York,  that  if  they  could  bring  the  corporation  to  San 
Francisco  he  would  aid  them  to  raise  the  money  to 
pay  off  Arnold. 

This  proposition  was  inmiediately  accepted.  They 
all  returned  to  California  and  incorporated  their  com- 
pany under  the  laws  of  that  state.  Messrs.  Ralston, 
Latham  and  other  capitalists  contributed  $500,000,  less 
$75,000,  previously  taken  and  telegraphed  for  from 
New  York,  and  forming  part  of  the  purchase  money 
to  be  paid  to  Arnold,  and  as  soon  as  this  man  received 
the  amount  agreed  upon  he  immediately  took  his 
departure  with  his  companion  and  partner,  Slack,  to 
Kentucky,  from  whence  they  originally  came  to  Cali- 
fornia. 

The  public,  during  all  this  time  continued  greatly 
excited,  waiting  only  to  invest  in  this  great  new  enter- 
prise. All  the  parties  interested  with  the  exception 
of  Ralston,  were  in  favor  of  disposing  of  one-half  of 
the  capital  stock  at  $40.00  per  share,  which  they  were 


232  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

ready  and  willing  and  anxious  to  talvc  at  that  price. 
This  would  have  amounted  to  $2,000,000,  the  capital 
agreed  upon  being  S10,000,000. 

Wm.  Ralston  objected  to  any  portion  being  placed 
with  the  public  until  these  supposed  diamond  mines 
should  })roduce  something  that  proved  they  had  a 
value  and  actual  existence. 

The  newspapers  of  both  coimtries  severely  censured 
Mr.  Ralston,  for  permitting  his  name  to  be  used  with 
such  a  ^vild  scheme  and  fraud,  whereas  he,  and  he  alone, 
prevented  the  whole  community  from  being  swindled. 

The  exposure  of  this  prodigious  swindle  by  Clarence 
King  and  others  is  now  too  well  known  to  require  any 
comment  here. 

After  it  had  been  proved  to  be  one  of  the  swindles 
of  the  vilest  character,  IVIessrs.  Ralston  and  others 
paid  back  the  money  to  the  various  friends  that  they 
had  advised  to  purchase  shares,  Mr.  Ralston  being  a 
loser  by  this  investment  to  the  amount  of  $225,000 
of  his  own  money. 

There  is  one  thing  connected  with  this  swindle  which 
still  remains  a  mystery. 

How  men  like  Tiffany  of  New  York,  and  Jannin 
of  San  Francisco  could  possibly  have  been  so  greatly 
deceived  with  regard  to  the  value  of  these  stones. 
With  Lent  and  others  it  is  quite  easy  to  imagine  how 
these  diamonds  could  be  magnified  to  the  vision,  being 
owners  and  not  experts  in  precious  stones,  but  Mr. 
Tiffany  was  very  differently  placed,  he  being  a  diamond 
merchant  contemplating  the  purchase  of  a  supposed 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         233 

existing  mine,  consequently  looked  up  to  be  to  others, 
as  a  party  fully  competent  to  judge  of  the  value,  having 
the  most  valuable  establishment  in  New  York,  London 
and  Paris,  and  daily  and  hourly  dealing  in  these  very 
gems  of  which  they  were  asked  to  fix  the  value  of. 

Mr.  Jannin  held  equally  as  high  a  position  as  a  geolo- 
gist in  California  as  Mr.  Tiffany  had  in  England  and 
America  as  a  diamond  dealer.  Jannin  was  a  man  of 
acknowledged  ability,  a  geologist  from  the  earliest  days 
of  his  education,  schooled  in  the  great  academy  of 
Freiberg,  Germany,  and  thus  called  upon  to  decide 
on  the  value  of  property  where  there  were  millions  of 
dollars  at  stake. 

Can  any  person  believe  that  these  two  great  adepts 
in  diamond  value  and  geological  formation  could  be  so 
deceived? 

It  appears  they  valued  these  gems  at  $100,000,  but 
when  the  scales  were  removed  from  their  eyes,  the  fraud 
discovered  and  disclosed,  they  found  them  to  be  worth 
only  $8,000,  as  pre\'iously  stated,  being  nothing  but 
diamonds  imperfect  in  form,  poor  in  quality,  and  lack- 
ing in  brilliancy. 

Any  person  knowing  Mr,  Jannin,  his  private  character, 
and  honorable  standing  in  his  profession,  will  not  be- 
lieve for  one  moment  that  he  ever  intended  anything 
wrong  in  making  the  report.  He  was  a  gentleman  well 
connected,  coming  from  the  best  of  families,  without 
a  stain  on  his  name  or  reputation  during  his  long  and 
successful  business  career  as  a  mining  expert.  All  these 
circumstances  combined,  sufficiently  attest  that  he  had 


234         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

been  the  victim  of  the  two  artful  and  designing  scamps. 

Then,  how  can  the  pubUc  and  world  at  large,  wonder 
or  be  surprised,  that  such  well-known  business  men 
as  Ralston,  Latham  and  others  should  have  been  induced 
to  invest  in  this  speculation,  endorsed  and  certified  to, 
as  it  was,  by  a  gentleman  holding  the  position  of  a 
diamond  merchant,  in  the  greatest  cities  of  America, 
England  and  France,  as  Mr.  Tiffany  did? 

With  all  these  facts  placed  clearly  before  the  world, 
Uttle  now  remains  to  be  written  with  regard  to  the 
other  parties  mentioned,  except  to  say  that  it  is  impos- 
sible for  anyone  thoroughly  acquainted  with  all  the 
circumstances  connected  with  this  fraud  to  believe  that 
for  a  moment  any  other  persons  than  Arnold  and 
Slack,  and  they  alone,  conceived  and  arranged  this 
swindle  for  the  public  and  their  own  profit. 

The  worst  that  can  be  laid  to  the  charge  of  the  others 
is  that  they  suffered  themselves  to  be  duped  and  made 
the  victims  of  misplaced  confidence  by  two  unscrupu- 
lous villains. 

Yet,  many  may  think,  and  doubtless  do,  that  there 
was  some  master  mind  behind  Messrs.  Arnold  and 
Slack,  furnishing  money  and  brains  to  carry  out  this 
well-devised  plot. 

How  they  obtained  funds  has  been  explained  before, 
the  truth  of  which  I  shall  not  attempt  to  refute,  and 
as  for  the  brains,  those  only  acquainted  with  Mr.  Arnold 
can  knowingly  judge.  A  man  possessing  very  little 
education,  he  was  easily  under-estimated  by  those  having 
transactions  with  him.     A  person  of  quick  perceptions, 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         235 

possessing  a  well-balanced  head,  with  an  enormous 
brain,  a  general  manner  well  calculated  to  deceive 
and  impose  upon  the  most  shrewd  in  the  ordinary 
business  dealings  of  daily  life. 

He  had  been  a  bushwhacker,  during  the  Rebellion, 
connected  with  mining  as  prospector  and  explorer, 
and  was  up  to  all  the  tricks  of  mining  sharpers.  It  is 
to  this  class  of  men  that  nearly  all  the  great  mining 
swindles  in  America  and  England  are  traceable. 

Many  of  them  have  had  a  long  experience  as  practical 
miners,  and  are  consequently,  the  best  judges  of  such 
property  and  know  where  it  is  to  be  foimd. 

Failing  "to  make  a  raise,"  as  they  term  it,  they 
become  desperate  and  spend  their  time  between  gam- 
bling and  robbing  the  Wells,  Fargo  Express.  Salting 
and  preparing  mines  they  manage  in  various  ways  to 
deceive  the  experts  and  thus  get  good  reports  on  worth- 
less property.  From  some  of  these  reports,  some  of  the 
very  best  men  in  America  have  been  innocently  led 
into  the  most  outrageous  swindles,  appearing  in  a  truly 
ridiculous  light  when  the  fraud  was  discovered. 

This  "Great  Diamond  Swindle,"  the  truth  of  which 
cannot  be  denied,  only  exhibits  how  other  plots  of 
similar  nature  have  been  carried  out. 

The  secret  history  of  many  similar  schemes  could  and 
will  yet  be  written  and  given  to  the  world. 


CHAPTER  XV 

Any  one  conversant  with  the  progress  of  mining 
for  the  last  forty  years,  the  improvement  in  machinery, 
in  the  methods  of  reducing  the  ores,  must  admit  that 
in  no  other  branch  of  industry  has  evolution  and  revo- 
lution been  more  complete.  From  the  crude  methods 
adopted  in  California  during  the  fifties,  of  extracting 
ore  from  quartz  by  the  old  arrastres  of  the  most  primi- 
tive type,  whose  greatest  capacity  was  a  ton  a  day, 
we  now  have  stamp-mills  which  reduce  from  four  to 
six  tons  to  the  stamp.  From  a  saving  in  the  com- 
mencement from  free  oxidized  ores  of  fifty  to  sixty 
per  cent  of  their  assay  value,  the  saving  runs  now  from 
ninety  to  ninety-five  per  cent.  The  old  "Fruevana" 
concentrators  adopted  on  the  Comstock  and  after- 
wards very  much  improved,  have  been  replaced  by 
the  Wilfley  improved  Fruevana's  and  other  tables,  in  the 
reduction  of  some  ores,  and  now  through  concentration 
nearly  all  the  values  not  obtained  in  the  stamp  mills  are 
saved. 

In  many  of  the  largest  mines  in  California  the  tailings 
after  leaving  the  mill  ran  through  arrastres.  With  no 
attempt  to  further  treat  them,  they  were  swept  away 
and  lost.  There  has  been  a  corresponding  reduction 
in  cost  of  reducing  silver  ores. 

In  mining  machinery  the  change  has  been  as  great. 

236 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         237 

Hoists,  capable  of  going  to  a  depth  of  4,000  feet 
and  back  again,  in  less  than  two  minutes,  were  intro- 
duced. Shafts  are  now  projected  and  sunk  to  from 
7,000  to  9,000  feet.  Diamond  drills  were  used  for  pros- 
pecting. Power  drills  succeeded  to  a  great  extent 
manual  drilling.  The  old  Spanish  method  of  sinking 
down  from  the  surface  and  leaving  pillars  of  ore  to 
hold  up  the  walls  of  the  ledges  was  discontinued.  Over- 
hand stoping  was  adopted.  Timbering  came  into 
universal  use.  Square  sets,  where  the  ledge  was  wide, 
and  posts  and  caps  where  the  ledge  was  narrow,  black 
powder  was  superseded  by  giant  powder.  The  cost 
of  mining  in  veins  of  ten  to  twelve  feet  wide  under 
favorable  conditions  now  is  often  not  more  than  one 
dollar  a  ton  where  formerly  it  was  five  dollars  a  ton. 

The  cost  of  milling  with  automatic  feeders,  rock 
breakers  and  other  improved  methods  have  been  reduced 
correspondingly  low.  While  in  the  early  sixties  con- 
centrates were  only  reduced  by  chlorinization  a  very 
expensive  process,  the  values  are  mostly  obtained  now 
through  a  cyanide  process,  which  was  unknown  up  to 
fifteen  years  ago.  I  think  it  is  safe  to  say  that  twenty- 
five  per  cent  of  the  gold  of  the  world  is  now  obtained 
from  the  cyanide  process. 

South  African  ores  are  reduced  by  this  method. 
Through  this  process  large  fortunes  have  been  made 
out  of  tailings  where  the  assay  value  did  not  exceed  $3 
per  ton.  It  is  applicable,  as  is  well  known,  to  tail- 
ings not  containing  copper.  Where  the  percentage 
of  copper  is  from  three-quarters  to  one  per  cent  in  the 


238         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

ore  it  is  now  concentrated,  *and  the  concentrates  are 
sent  to  the  customs  smelter. 

There  was  not  a  large  smelter  in  the  West  prior  to 
1870.  Refractory  ores  were  shipped  from  the  Pacific 
Coast  to  Swansea,  Wales  and  England  for  reduction. 
Now  the  great  reduction  works  at  Omaha,  Denver, 
Pueblo,  San  Francisco  and  other  points  have  proved 
a  veritable  boon  to  the  miner.  The  methods  of  reduc- 
tion in  those  works  are  being  constantly  improved 
upon.  Formerly,  where  zinc  was  contained  in  the  ores, 
there  was  a  large  loss  in  extracting  the  silver  and  gold. 
Now,  through  the  Bretherton  process  that  obstacle 
has  been  overcome.  Pyritic  smelting  has  been  ad- 
vanced rapidly  in  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years.  Sulphur 
contained  in  the  ores  now  in  many  furnaces  is  used  in 
part  as  fuel.  Electricity  as  a  motive  power  and  for 
the  lighting  of  mines  is  coming  into  universal  use. 
Electricity  is  used  in  the  separation  of  gold  and  silver 
from  copper  bullion  reducing  the  cost  to  one-tenth  of 
what  it  was  twenty  years  ago. 

While  there  are  mountains  of  low  grade  ore  through- 
out the  West,  that  can  not  at  present  be  reduced  pro- 
fitably, yet,  judging  the  future  by  the  past  I  think  it 
will  be  a  matter  of  only  a  few  years  when  this  refractory 
ore  will  be  profitably  mined  and  reduced. 

In  our  schools  now  any  young  man  can  acquire  a 
technical  education  in  mining,  better  than  was  known 
to  the  most  advanced  scientists  of  fifty  years  ago,  both 
in  chemistry,  geology  and  practical  mining  engineering. 
The  thought  of  the  mining  world    is  directed  to  the 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         239 

sohdng  of  the  great  problems  which  never  have  been 
understood,  and  taking  up  the  task  where  their  fathers 
left  it.  These  men,  or  some  of  them  will  learn  all  the 
secrets  that  are  applicable  to  the  reduction  of  ores, 
and  so  cheapen  the  cost  of  mining  and  milling  that 
the  great  deposits  of  ore,  averaging  from  one  to  two 
dollars  per  ton  will  be  profitably  treated. 

It  is  never  safe  to  discount  the  genius  of  the  spirit  of 
the  young  American. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Chinese  began  to  arrive  in  California  during  the 
year  1850.  After  my  arrival  in  the  state,  in  1852,  I 
was  accustomed  to  see  almost  weekly  ship  loads  of 
these  Orientals  traversing  its  streets  with  their  bamboo 
poles  across  their  shoulders  carrying  baskets  at  each 
end  containing  their  worldly  goods.  Most  of  them 
went  into  the  mines.  Many  remained  in  San  Francisco, 
locating  in  a  little  colony  on  Washington  and  Jackson 
Streets  above  Kearney,  while  others  went  into  domestic 
service  among  the  few  families  of  the  city. 

At  that  time  the  servant  girl  was  a  rare  commodity 
in  San  Francisco,  because  immediately  upon  her  arrival 
some  lonely  man  would  seek  her  for  a  wife. 

These  Chinamen  were  quick  to  imitate.  Once  shown 
how  to  prepare  any  dish  they  could  do  it  successfully. 
They  connnanded  from  $75  to  $100  a  month. 

In  the  mines  they  were  the  gleaners,  working  over 
claims  which  had  been  abandoned  as  worked  out  by 
the  Americans.  They  were  always  satisfied  with  a 
much  less  return  for  their  labors  than  was  agreeable  to 
the  regular  miner.  When  the  wages  in  the  mines  ran 
from  $15  to  $50  per  day,  the  Chinaman  was  willing  to 
work  for  $10  and  gradually  as  wages  were  reduced  he 
was  satisfied  with  a  corresponding  reduction.  A  few 
thousand  dollars  was  a  fortune  to  these  Mongolians  in 

240 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California  241 

Hong-kong,  or  Canton,  whence  they  came.  They  lived 
on  half  required  to  support  the  life  and  energy  of  a  good 
healthy  American.  Their  principal  food  being  rice 
with  a  small  allowance  of  meat.  The  principal  drink 
was  American  brandy  which  was  often  substituted 
for  tea. 

Gradually  the  Chinese  population  increased,  and 
wherever  in  any  city  or  district  they  planted  themselves 
their  presence  was  distinctly  recognized  by  the  filth  and 
squalor  which  pervaded  their  tenements  and  the  inde- 
finable Chinese  odor  which  was,  and  is  so  obnoxious 
and  noticeable  to  this  day,  where  they  have  their 
habitations. 

In  1860  the  Chinese  quarter  in  San  Francisco  was 
a  hive  of  this  undesirable  population.  Women  were 
brought  from  China  by  the  hundreds.  They  were 
like  slaves,  farmed  out  to  bosses  who  used  them  for 
absolute  gain.  This  condition  existed  until  after  1870. 
Their  colonies  appeared  in  every  town  and  city  in  the 
state  of  California,  the  demoralizing  effects  of  which 
were  felt  everywhere. 

The  Chinese  laborers  were  mere  peons.  During  the 
building  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  large  numbers 
of  these  people  were  imported  under  the  alien  contract 
law  passed  by  John  Sherman  in  1866,  and  repealed 
under  the  Cleveland  administration  about  twenty  years 
later.  So  numerous  became  the  Chinese  population 
upon  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  so  objectionable  was  there 
presence  to  all  thoughtful  people  who  believed  in  the 
great  future  of  the  empire  of  the  Pacific,  that  about  1868 


242  The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

or  1869  there  arose  a  strong  under-current  of  antago- 
nism to  them. 

About  this  time  a  bill  was  passed,  introduced,  I 
think,  by  Senator  Summer,  which  placed  the  Chinamen 
on  an  equality  with  the  European  in  the  matter  of 
naturalization.  A  universal  protest  from  all  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Pacific  Coast,  almost  exclusively 
Republican  in  politics,  caused  the  bill  to  be  reconsidered 
and  killed. 

George  Gorham,  the  Republican  candidate  for  gov- 
ernor, in  the  State  of  California,  in  1868,  was  defeated 
upon  the  issue. 

California,  in  1872  began  to  advocate  a  bill  for  the 
exclusion  of  the  Chinese.  It  was  not  until  1876  that 
it  was  incorporated  into  any  national  platform.  Both 
parties  in  California,  Nevada  and  Oregon  were  agreed 
upon  the  necessity  of  Chinese  exclusion,  and  when  a 
bill  with  this  end  in  view  was  passed  in  Congress  during 
the  first  term  of  Cleveland's  administration,  it  was 
recognized  universally  as  a  very  salutary  measure. 

This  question  ten  years  prior  to  that  had  become  an 
all-absorbing  one  to  the  people  of  California,  and  if 
the  national  legislature  had  not  taken  it  up  there  can 
be  little  doubt  but  that  the  evils  of  such  imigration 
would  have  been  widely  felt,  not  only  upon  the  Pacific 
Coast  but  by  every  state  in  the  Union. 

The  Chinaman  can  never  be  made  a  component 
part  of  this  Republic. 

His  traditions  are,  that  if  he  dies  upon  foreign  soil 
his  bones  must  rest  in  China.    He  cannot  live  in  peace  in 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         243 

the  other  world  unless  this  is  done.  For  years,  and 
even  now,  the  Chinese  dead  are  exhumed  and  shipped 
to  the  Flowery  Kingdom,  for  permanent  burial. 

He  is  the  same  as  he  was  2,000  years  ago.  He  has 
not  advanced  one  iota  in  civilization.  His  morals 
are  of  the  lowest.  While  patient  and  hardworking, 
because  he  has  always  been  a  slave  to  a  master,  he 
has  no  higher  ambition  than  to  supply  the  physical 
wants  of  his  nature  at  the  lowest  possible  cost. 

Many  readers  may  consider  me  prejudiced  against 
the  Chinamen.  Possibly  I  am,  but  to  those  of  the 
East,  the  South  and  the  Eiddle  States  who  have  seen " 
but  little  of  him,  I  say,  go  to  San  Francisco,  visit  China- 
town, where  hundreds  and  thousands  live  like  rats, 
and  see  them  in  all  their  repugnance  and  filth  and 
then  it  will  be  easy  to  understand  my  feelings  on  this 
subject. 

They,  too,  will  realize  that  such  a  people  are  not 
wanted  in  this  Republic.  There  they  would  see  sights 
that  would  discount  the  slums  of  any  European  city. 
Their  opium  dens,  their  courts,  where  men  are  tried  in 
secret  and  assassinated  women  sold  into  slavery,  men 
imprisoned  in  dungeons,  by  Chinamen  avowing  no  al- 
legiance except  to  the  Emperor  of  China,  and  the  Six 
Companies. 

THE    AFTER   WORD 

The  treasures  of  Peru  and  Mexico  adding,  as  they 
did,  billions  to  the  wealth  of  Spain,  caused  a  revival 
throughout  Europe  of  the  arts,  sciences  and  mechanics, 


244         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

which  contribute  in  every  age  to  the  development  of 
commerce.  The  16th  century  marked  the  end  of 
the  dark  ages.  The  scarcity  of  gold  and  silver  was 
severely  felt  at  the  beginning  of  the  19th  century, 
but  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  and  Australia 
a  short  time  after,  adding  uncounted  millions  to  the 
basic  money  of  the  nations,  caused  at  once  a  revival 
of  commercial  activity  throughout  the  world. 

The  greatness  of  our  own  country  dates  from  the 
time  Marshall  discovered  gold  on  Sutter  Creek  in  Cal- 
ifornia. 

Speedily  the  state  was  filled  with  the  youth  and 
vigor  of  the  coimtry,  not  only  of  this  country  but  of 
Europe  also.  There  was  no  state  in  the  Union  that 
did  not  profit  to  a  greater  or  lesser  degree  through 
this  discovery.  Men  came  to  California  from  every 
State  and  Territory  and  for  ten  years  after  '49,  thou- 
sands returned  to  their  old  homes  with  fortunes  ranging 
from  $5,000  to  $100,000,  investing  it  in  lands  and 
business  enterprises. 

Money  was  in  abundance.  Great  enterprises  were 
developed.  East  and  West,  North  and  South  were 
bound  together  with  bands  of  iron.  Our  commerce, 
both  foreign  and  domestic  grew  by  leaps  and  bounds. 
American  clipper  ships  carried  American  goods  into 
every  port.  Under  benignant  laws  wealth  was  equally 
distributed  and  labor  was  well  paid  and  contented. 
Manufactories  multiplied.  New  cities  sprang  into  bqing. 
The  growth  of  the  nation  both  in  wealth  and  popula- 
tion was  phenomenal,  and  the  panic  of  1857  was  no 


The  Gold  Hunters  of  California         245 

serious  drawback  to  the  advancement  of  the  United 
States  during  this  golden  era  of  our  prosperity. 

Placer  miners  of  California  opened  up  the  placer 
fields  of  all  the  Western  States.  The  discovery  of  the 
Comstock  Lode  gave  a  new  impetus  to  mining  in  the 
West,  directing  attention  to  vein  mining  as  the  most 
profitable  source  of  investment. 

The  prospector  traveled  from  the  British  possessions 
in  the  North  to  Old  Mexico  and  Colorado.  New  mines 
were  discovered  and  new  mining  camps  sprang  into 
existence  as  if  by  the  touch  of  a  magic  wand.  Quartz 
ledges  in  California  which  had  theretofore  been  over- 
looked became  at  once  objects  of  interest  to  the  specu- 
lative public. 

Mining  was  no  longer  a  poor  man's  business.  For 
when  the  prospector  discovered  a  valuable  lode  his 
only  chance  of  remuneration  was  by  sale  or  by  the 
organization  of  a  corporation  large  enough  and  strong 
enough  to  develop  and  work  his  property. 

Scientists  and  mechanics  gave  their  best  energies 
to  the  development  of  mines,  and  mining  machinery 
was  gradually  improved.  Quartz  mills  were  per- 
fected. Pumping  and  smelting  machinery  rapidly  ad- 
vanced to  meet  the  situation  and  new  processes  for 
the  reduction  of  ores  came  in  rapid  succession. 

The  great  beds  of  ore  in  Utah,  South  Dakota,  Mon- 
tana and  Colorado  were  first  brought  to  the  attention 
of  Eastern  capitalists  by  the  Californians.  Even  in 
Australia  and  South  Africa,  indeed  wherever  precious 
metals  have  been  discovered  and  mined  at  a  profit. 


246         The  Gold  Hunters  of  California 

these  hardy  men  whose  knowledge  was  acquired  in  the 
hard  school  of  experience  was  in  evidence.  Not  in- 
tending to  detract  from  the  miners  of  Colorado,  who 
have  accomplished  wonderful  results  in  the  art  of 
reducing  refractory  ore,  yet  as  the  progenitor  of  great 
results,  the  mining  world  must  award  the  laurels  to  the 
pioneers  of  California.  They  were  the  advance  guard 
of  prosperity,  the  up-builders  of  a  nation  whose  finan- 
cial greatness  has  made  New  York  the  financial  center 
of  the  world,  and  is  rapidly  advancing  and  transferring 
the  center  of  population  to  the  trans-Mississippi  States 
and  Territories,  thus  creating  for  San  Francisco,  whose 
harbor  is  the  door  to  the  rich  conmierce  of  the  East, 
a  future  beyond  the  vision  of  the  most  illusive  dreamer. 

To  the  pioneers  of  California  who  opened  and  worked 
her  placer  mines  great  credit  is  due.  But  the  names 
of  Hearst,  Mackay,  Fair,  Ralston,  Moore,  Keene, 
Patton  and  their  co-laborers,  as  pioneers  in  the  field 
of  vein  mining,  should  ever  be  preserved  in  the  hearts 
of  a  grateful  people.  What  Junius  said  of  England's 
great  Premier  I  would  say  of  them: 

"Immortal  honors  crown  their  monuments  and  linger 
o'er  them.  It  is  a  solid  fabric  supported  by  the  laurels 
that  adorn  them." 

To  impress  a  new  generation  with  the  enduring 
services  of  these  men  and  their  co-laborers,  to  civiliza- 
tion and  mankind,  I  have  jotted  down  these  recollec- 
tions. 


University  of  California  Library 
Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


\u.\  cs/r 


1999 


DUE  2  VVKS  FROM  D/ 


UCLA  ACCESS 

IntorMbrary  Loans 
'  1  ©30  Univorsit:y 
&OX   - 

Los  " 


'E  RECEIVED 


SERVICES  BL19 
Research  Llbrsiry 
90095-1575 


2000 


['((^.^ 


AA     001326  797       6  3    1158   00010   6558 


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